According to a new report, Apple is pushing ahead with the development of its mixed reality headset, Apple Reality Pro, with Pegatron being the exclusive partner for manufacturing.
Based on the current status of the headset in manufacturing validation predicted DigiTimes that mass production will likely begin in March 2023 and the unveiling may take place the following month. The report states:
Industry sources have explained that the XR headset is mainly aimed at the commercial market. The price is higher and the supply volume is limited. Previous estimates suggested that the device would be shipped up to 2.5 million units annually, but new estimates put the figure at 0.7 to 0.8 million units per year. This is not a particularly profitable order for manufacturers in the supply chain who benefit from the volume.
Despite the low profitability of producing the first headset, Apple's manufacturing partners are said to be willing to work with Apple on the project to demonstrate their technical capabilities so that they are well positioned for future AR/VR products. Apple's brand recognition also makes it easier for companies to raise money on the capital markets for their activities.
Apple Headset to be released in 2023
Apple has been working on augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality headsets for a few years now, but has reportedly been struggling with some development issues that have slowed progress. While previous rumors suggested Apple could unveil the headset sometime in 2022, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in June that Apple would likely aim for a January 2023 unveil. Today's report from DigiTimes isn't much different from Kuo's statement, as Kuo then expected pre-orders to start in Q2 2023 and shipping to happen by WWDC in June. Consequently, both Kuo and DigiTimes seem to be citing a similar timeframe for mass production. The differences in the expected unveiling date (January for Kuo and April for DigiTimes) are related to how much lead time Apple wants to give developers before shipping the headset. (Photo by Andrey Suslov / Bigstockphoto)
