Here’s why Apple delaying the launch of its mixed reality headset is a good thing

We’ve been waiting for Apple’s mixed reality headset for a long time. Apple hasn’t even officially announced the device, but there have been a lot of rumors about it floating around the web. While analysts had been claiming that the product would be introduced in early 2023, a recent report suggests that Apple has decided to delay its announcement until WWDC 2023. And here’s why that’s a good thing.

Rumors about Apple’s mixed reality headset

Even though Apple has been working on its new headset for years, the company has reportedly been facing some technical challenges with the product. After all, this is the first time that Apple has been building a device specifically for AR/VR.

Not only that, rumors suggest that the hardware will be quite advanced and complex. Apple’s headset is expected to have two 4K micro-LED displays, high-resolution cameras, advanced sensors for motion and gesture detection, and the M2 chip. Putting all this into a wearable accessory is certainly not easy, and it won’t be cheap either.

According to the latest reports, Apple’s AR/VR headset will cost around $3,000. To convince people to buy such an expensive product, Apple has also been developing some exclusive features. For instance, users will be able to chat with others in a virtual universe through FaceTime. The device will also work as an external display for the Mac.

But these reports also suggest that Apple’s headset prototypes are far from delivering a good user experience. In order to not make the device so heavy, Apple would have opted to use two external batteries that are the size of an iPhone each. However, the headset isn’t expected to operate for more than two hours unplugged. Some sources familiar with the project also said that the headset isn’t exactly comfortable to wear.

Apple’s headset delay may be a good thing

Multiple sources pointed out that Apple had plans to announce its new headset sometime between March and April. However, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported today that Apple has scrapped that plan. Instead, the company now aims to announce it in June at WWDC 2023.

Considering all the latest rumors, the delay of the headset announcement may end up being a good thing for both Apple and consumers. Considering what we’ve heard, the company definitely needs more time to polish the headset experience. It will be a big announcement for sure, but it won’t look good for Apple to launch such an expensive product that has a lot of flaws.

At the same time, this will also give Apple more time to produce more units of the headset. Of course no one is expecting a $3,000 product to be a hit. But considering the complexity of the rumored headset, Apple may struggle to even produce a few thousand units of it.

There’s also the fact that an announcement like this fits perfectly with WWDC, which is a developer conference. As I wrote before, Apple more than ever needs developers to make this product appealing. What better time to announce a new device and at the same time allow developers to have access to it than at WWDC?

Apple may also have chosen to wait a bit longer due to market strategies. None of the AR/VR devices introduced by other companies have become a success so far, and Apple could be wanting to better understand this market and its potential customers.

Wrap up

At this point, there are a lot of people interested in seeing what Apple will show with its mixed reality headset. But having a solid product to show the world is much more important for its success.

Are you excited to see Apple’s mixed reality headset? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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