William Gallagher
Supply chain sources claim that Apple's $2000 Apple AR headset will go on sale in the second half of 2022, with the AR glasses expected to arrive in 2023.
Backing up previous reports from typically reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, a new supply chain rumor says an initial Apple AR device aimed at corporations and industrial use, will debut in 2022.
According to Digitimes, the commercial headset - not the consumer "Apple Glass" - is working its way through testing.
"Apple's AR headset has already completed one P2 [a second phase of prototype testing]," says the publication, "and will enter the EVT (Engineering Verification Test) stage before entering mass production."
Digitimes say that the first headset may cost more than $2,000, and so Apple is expecting limited sales. According to unspecified sources, the publication says that the consumer version, known as "Apple Glass," has not yet finalised design.
It estimates that "Apple Glass" will go into mass production "after 2023."
Digitimes has a very strong reputation for extracting information from Apple's supply chain. However, it has a far weaker one for the conclusions it draws about Apple's plans. Wednesday's report is more the latter category, than the former.
Separately, other reports concerning Apple's first AR headset have said that it will have to be used in connection with an iPhone.
Previous reports have said that an industrial Apple AR headset would be released in 2022, but at a price of $1,000. Those same sources have also claimed that, "Apple Glass" will be in 2025, with contact lenses by 2030.
In contrast, leaker Jon Prosser had claimed that the consumer "Apple Glass," not an industrial headset, would be released between March and June 2021.
Regarding design and testing, sources said in January 2021, that a prototype "Apple Glass" was already in phase two of production.
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7 Comments
“typically reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo”?
That has to be contractually obligated, right?
“Digitimes has a very strong reputation for extracting information from Apple's supply chain. However, it has a far weaker one for the conclusions it draws about Apple's plans.”
“leaker Jon Prosser” seems almost disparaging. Kuo is never referred to as a “leaker,” but isn’t that what he does, too?
A couple questions to the author: what the heck is an 'AR Headset' anyway? And why do you insist on showing what is obviously a VR headset? With an opaque front, there's obviously no way to let in the 'R' that is supposed to be augmented. So if it uses sensors or cameras to pull in 'R'eality and then re-constitute it for the wearer, it becomes 'Virtual'.
at first i thought it didn’t make sense for apple to do VR but if their AR glasses will indeed come out later than everyone else (some reports say 2025), this might be a developer device.