Apple's AR headset will slip to Q2 2023, predicts Kuo

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is predicting that the expected Apple AR headset has been pushed past the original timetable because of the impact of China's coronavirus lockdowns.

Following his now validated doubt that Apple would unveil its AR headset at WWDC 2022, Ming-Chi Kuo has tweeted what he expects is the timetable leading up to its delayed launch.

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I believe Apple's AR/MR headset shipping date will postpone to 2Q23 (vs. 1Q23 of market consensus) because Shanghai lockdown interrupts the development. As expected, there were no clues for AR/MR headset at WWDC 2022. Here is my prediction for Apple AR/MR headset schedule.
— (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) June 7, 2022

He goes on to say that his supposed schedule Apple's first AR headset is:

Engineering Validation and Testing starting from Q3 2022
Apple event in January 2023
SDK toolkit for developers by end of February 2023
Pre-orders beginning Q2 2023
On sale ahead of WWDC 2023

Kuo's timeline does fit with recent expectations that the headset will be launched in 2023.

Since beginning to tweet about Apple in March 2022, Ming-Chi Kuo's news about the company have variously been speculation, or based on supply chain reports. This AR timeline appears to be solely supposition, using Kuo's experience of manufacturing timelines.

7 Comments

Japhey 6 Years · 1772 comments

About 2 years ago

I’d be very interested in an AI article detailing how many rumors and leaks these clowns actually got correct this week.

amar99 14 Years · 180 comments

Japhey said:

I’d be very interested in an AI article detailing how many rumors and leaks these clowns actually got correct this week.

"If you throw enough predictions around, at least some of them are liable to stick." Their modus operandi, pretty much.

(Edit: To clarify, not AppleInsider itself; I mean the many random predictors of Apple's releases / timing.)

rezwits 17 Years · 856 comments

They're never gonna release until a "Develop Edition" comes out for a pre-amble to a App Store can be founded...

mpantone 18 Years · 2254 comments

The timing of Kuo's prediction is sketchy.

The logical time for Apple to announce an AR/VR headset would be WWDC. That would introduce the software tools, SDKs, and the operating system itself (realityOS by some speculators). That would give Apple the opportunity to offer a developer kit which would include a late stage pre-production device.

It will be interesting to see how Apple handles this rollout.

crofford 8 Years · 99 comments

mpantone said:

The timing of Kuo's prediction is sketchy.

The logical time for Apple to announce an AR/VR headset would be WWDC. That would introduce the software tools, SDKs, and the operating system itself (realityOS by some speculators). That would give Apple the opportunity to offer a developer kit which would include a late stage pre-production device.

It will be interesting to see how Apple handles this rollout.

Actually, I predict they'll mirror the original iPhone announcement. Announce in January and ship later.
They couldn't announce at WWDC because nobody would pay attention to other platform announcements.