Analyst: Apple VR Headset May Launch With iPhone 15

A reputable Apple analyst said Apple’s long-promised VR headset will likely launch around the same time as the iPhone 15 in September. 

In a Twitter post(Opens in a new window), eagle-eyed tech predictor Ming-Chi Kuo said the “likelihood of Apple’s 1st-gen AR/MR headset release at the spring event is decreasing. Meanwhile, the probability of the headset launch alongside iPhone 15 in 3Q23 is rising.”

Kuo quote-tweeted a January thread(Opens in a new window) of his that said mass shipment of the headset would be postponed to at least the end of the second quarter of 2023, and added that while the announcement date will be postponed, his prediction for mass shipment schedule is “unchanged.”

In that thread, Kuo said that the development of the headset was behind schedule due to “issues with mechanical component drop testing and the availability of software development tools.”

Tweet(Opens in a new window)

Andrew Williams from Forbes notes(Opens in a new window) that the delays could stem from Apple’s ambition to have a “library” of third-party software that it can demonstrate when launching the rumored $3,000 headset. 

The headset will contain a Mac-level M2 chip,  a second chip for graphics and sensor-tracking, as well as over 10 cameras placed inside and outside the device. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman(Opens in a new window), it will feature the highest-resolution displays ever featured in a mass-market headset.

Back in December, Apple renamed the headset’s software from “realityOS” to “xrOS” reportedly in order to better reflect the extended, augmented, and virtual reality features the headset is expected to offer. 

According to Engadget(Opens in a new window), the headset will feature virtual versions of Apple’s apps, such as Messages, FaceTime, and Maps, while hird parties will be able to create their own apps and games via a software development kit. The headset’s operating system will reportedly also use iris scanning for payments and sign-ins. 

Earlier this week it was reported(Opens in a new window) that Apple had tapped Chinese manufacturer Luxshare to develop the headset, marking the first time that the company has chosen a Chinese supplier for a first-gen device.

And according to four separate sources who spoke to Nikkei Asia, Taiwan iPhone maker Foxconn will reportedly work on the development of a cheaper second-gen augmented reality device at the same time.