Apple CEO Tim Cook has put himself at the forefront of the company’s hardware releases in the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) space with the anticipated launch of Apple’s mixed reality headset that could come in June this year, reported the Financial Times on Sunday.
Quoting an anonymous former engineer who worked on developing the headset, FT reported that there was a lot of pressure to ship the product amidst launch delays that spanned several years.
If the headset releases in June 2023, it could come around the time Facebook-parent Meta is expected to formally announce or even release its own Quest 3 headset, which also features mixed reality experiences, according to tech outlet The Verge’s Meta AR/VR roadmap published on March 1.
Apple’s own headset has reportedly been under development for around seven years, which is much longer than its flagship iPhone product, according to FT.
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The outlet reported that the device may cost around $3,000 and is expected to only sell about a million units in its first year. The Verge reported that Meta has sold around 20 million Quest headsets so far.
The Apple headset’s computing platform was developed on Mr. Cook’s watch, unlike other products which were developed under the leadership of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, said FT.
