Skip to main content

Apple mixed-reality headset will reportedly launch in ‘the next several months’

Rumors that Apple is working on a top-secret mixed-reality headset have exploded in recent months. Excitingly, they just got another boost from reputable reporter Mark Gurman, who claims Apple will unveil the device at an in-person event within “the next several months.”

In a newsletter discussing Apple’s future Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) events, Gurman wrote: “Sometime in the next several months, the company is poised to announce a mixed-reality headset, its first major new device since 2015. If possible, Apple won’t want to make such a critical announcement at an online event. It wants employees, the media, its partners, and developers in the room.”

Recommended Videos

Tantalizingly, WWDC itself falls within that date range, as it is due to begin on June 7 this year. However, before we all get too excited, this year’s WWDC event is set to be digital-only, which seemingly rules it out for the mixed-reality headset reveal.

Apple's rumored virtual reality headset
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Traditionally, the next event Apple usually hosts after WWDC is the iPhone announcement in September. This is a plausible contender for the unveiling, as it would allow Apple to demonstrate how the headset works with brand-new iPhones and other Apple devices. At the same time, the September event is usually pretty jam-packed, so we might be looking at a stand-alone event solely dedicated to the headset instead.

If the device is indeed revealed in 2021, we would expect it to launch in 2022 to give developers time to get their apps ready. Gurman, reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and news outlet The Information have all slated 2022 as the probable release date. In terms of price, Kuo has claimed the product will cost $1,000 — much lower than the $3,000 price tag suggested by The Information.

According to the rumor mill, Apple’s headset will blend augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) features. It will supposedly be entirely wireless, feature dual 8K displays and eye tracking, and be powered by an Apple-designed custom chip that is on par with (or better than) the M1 chip in the current MacBook Pro. With all those features apparently in the works, this year’s announcement cannot come soon enough.

Alex Blake
Alex Blake has been working with Digital Trends since 2019, where he spends most of his time writing about Mac computers…
Here’s how Apple may make the next Vision headset more affordable
A person wearing an Apple Vision Pro headset.

A new report suggests that Apple may be lining up its plans for the launch of its more budget-friendly Vision headset. As spotted by Wccftech, the report comes from analyst firm TrendForce, which indicates a move away from the high-end micro-OLED panels used in the Vision Pro.

The new options include glass-based OLED displays, as well as a different form of OLED known as LTPO backplane technology, which was first used on the Apple Watch Series 4 back in 2018. Since then, it's become a familiar display technology that's been applied broadly across the industry in smartphones and watches.

Read more
Apple could tie up with Sony for a critical Vision Pro upgrade
A man wears an Apple Vision Pro headset.

Apple hasn’t quite tasted the domain-shifting success it expected with the Vision Pro headset. A price tag worth $3,500 was already a deterrent, but the gaming ecosystem — a key driver for the VR segment — has also been lackluster. The company is now hoping to fix that situation with some help from Sony.

According to Bloomberg, the two companies have been working together to bring support for the PlayStation VR 2’s controllers to the pricey Apple headset. “Apple has discussed the plan with third-party developers, asking them if they’d integrate support into their games,” adds the report.

Read more
Apple October Mac launch: everything we expect to be announced next week
Apple's Craig Federighi introduces window tiling in macOS Sequoia at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in 2024.

It's official. After an entire month of waiting, Apple has revealed that some Mac-related announcements are coming just next week. The exact timing of the announcements, along with what devices will be launched, however, are still yet to be confirmed.

That being said, the leaks and reporting on this launch have been fairly robust, so we have a fairly good idea of what could be in the works. Refreshing Macs with the M4 chip will be the focus of the event, but there may be a few more surprises too.
When will Apple launch its new devices?
https://twitter.com/gregjoz/status/1849484363165213148?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1849484363165213148%7Ctwgr%5E6e69ea2b057a7d389444839b9bc3c6940ddc52e7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitaltrends.com%2Fcomputing%2Fapple-announcements-are-coming-on-monday%2F

Read more