Apple is expected to launch a new mixed reality headset in early 2023 to deliver a combined augmented reality and virtual reality experience to users. Since the current mixed reality headsets market is very small, Apple is going to ship up to 1.5 million units its first-generation of AR/VR headset.
In his new research note, tech analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote that Apple will introduce the new mixed reality headset in January 2023 but will ship less than 1.5 million units because it will offer a new experience that consumers are not aware of.
The success of the epoch-making consumer electronics in the past (such as iPhone, Wii, etc.) is because they provide innovative experiences that people can’t imagine before they are released/released. Therefore, most investors currently have Apple AR/MR application scenarios. The doubts are justified.
The success of Apple’s $2000 first-generation mixed reality headset will pave the way for cheaper upgrades
Calling it Apple’s next revolutionary consumer electronic product after the iPhone, Kuo stated that Apple’s new AR/VR headset will cost between $2000 – $2500 which means it will have a niche market and will impact the volume of shipments.
However, Kuo speculated that if the device is a hit amongst the consumers in the next few years, it will increase investors’ confidence in the product and can lead to the production of improved upgrades with cheaper price tags in larger volumes.
The focus of Apple’s first-generation AR/MR headset should be to verify the existence of market demand, rather than price/shipment. If the market demand is verified to exist, under the improvement of production, technology and cost, the price will be gradually reduced in the future, which will facilitate the rapid growth of shipments.
Reportedly, Apple’s upcoming mixed reality headset will be powered by M1-like processor and will feature iris recognition, eye tracking, hand gesture detection, facial expression detection, skin detection, voice control, and spatial detection.
Designed for comfortable wear for gaming and viewing purposes, the headset will be lightweight and be equipped with three OLED displays with 3,000 PPI and Fresnel’s hybrid ultra-short focal length lenses.
Out of all the features, Kuo believes that the mixed reality headset’s eye-tracking capability and displays, and heat dissipation will be unique features.
Among the new specifications from scratch, eye tracking is the most representative. In existing consumer electronics, there are almost no eye tracking applications.
In terms of specification upgrades (compared with existing Apple products), relevant components worthy of attention include mechanical components (requires comfortable wearing), displays (provides an excellent immersive experience), and heat dissipation (maintains high-speed computing and configuration. comfortable to wear) etc.
