Apple is expected to launch its first AR headset later this year after showcasing it next month during the WWDC 2023 event. It is reported that Apple started experimenting with AR headsets in 2015. Even Samsung is developing its AR/MR headset after shutting down the Gear VR lineup a few years ago.
Apple and Samsung are expected to go against each other in the AR/MR headset market later this year.
Apple started working on AR headsets in 2015 and used Gear VR for experiments
According to Bloomberg’s report, Apple used various VR headsets, including Samsung’s Gear VR and HTC Vive, in its early experiments. Apple’s initial plan was to launch unobtrusive AR eyeglasses that can be worn all day. But a series of setbacks meant that the plan pivoted, and the device is now a full-blown AR headset that looks like ski goggles. It requires a separate battery pack.
Top Apple executives have kept their distance from the AR headset. Tim Cook was not deeply engaged in its design and only participated in product demonstrations, causing frustrations among staff. Johny Srouji, Apple’s Senior VP for Hardware Technologies, is skeptical of the device. He thinks that designing AR headset chips could distract the company from iPhone chips that generate more revenue. Craig Federighi, President of Software Engineering at Apple, has also been wary of the product.
The device can work as an external monitor for Macs, and third-party apps and games would be available. Eventually, Apple expects people to wear AR headsets all day and perform things like email, gaming, meditation, web browsing, working out, and video calls. The company had an initial target to sell 3 million units during the first year after launch, but that target has been brought down to 900,000 units.
Apple could sell the device at its approximate making cost rather than selling it at a loss as it had initially planned. The device could cost $1,500 during the launch and go on sale by the end of this year.
Samsung’s AR/MR headset could use Google’s software and Qualcomm processor
Samsung is also working on its AR headset in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm. Google could design and develop the operating system for the headset, while Qualcomm could offer the processing chipset.
Not much is known about this device, but unlike Gear VR, which required a smartphone for the headset to work, the upcoming device could be a standalone device with its own display, chipset, sensors, and battery.
