Most of Apple's top execs are involved with the MR headset

Apple's mixed-reality headset is a big deal for the company, with many of the highest executives involved with the project to try and make it a success.

Apple's AR and VR headset is expected to be unveiled during WWDC 2023 in June, and could be the launch of a brand new platform for the company. With a lot riding on it being a success, many of the top brass at Apple are pitching in to realize that vision.

In a rundown from Mark Gurman in his "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, the list of executives involved in the seven-year journey includes Mike Rockwell, who oversees the engineering of the device. A person involved with its development said "He's an utter genius and if anyone can get this done, it's him."

Given the closeness and involvement, Rockwell could become one of the faces of the device for its unveiling.

COO Jeff Williams is in charge of the design team, including the human interface group who have worked on the overall vision. Williams also manages manufacturing the device itself, which is apparently thought internally to be the most complex product Apple has ever designed.

Between Rockwell and the top executive team is Dan Ricco, who has worked just on the headset for the last two years. Below Rockwell is senior lieutenant Paul Meade, handling hardware engineering for the headset and previously worked on iPhone hardware management until 2017.

Jony Ive is also namechecked in the list, as while he was in a part-time role during the early creation of the headset, he apparently pushed to avoid the isolating designs of existing headsets. This included lobbying for a portable base station-less design, an outward-facing display for others to see the eyes of the user, and a smooth transition between VR and AR.

Though Ive is no longer with Apple, he was still involved with the headset until his contract ended a year ago.

Other names on the list include Greg Joswiak, Phil Schiller, Frank Casanova, Kim Vorrath, Jeff Norris, Johny Srouji, Shannon Gans, and Geoff Stahl.

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52 Comments

mikethemartian 1485 comments · 18 Years

About 1 year ago

I feel sorry for the engineers that actually do the work with all these bosses.

manwithnoname 12 comments · 3 Years

I don't think the majority of the public care about AR/VR. It will just be another product some people will buy. Its no great inovation or world sharttering tech. Techno heads will buy it up as they do with anything new, whether it's useful; or not! That most likley is not what Apple fanatics want to hear but it is what it is.

ShaolinRockstar 8 comments · 8 Years

manwithnoname said:

I don't think the majority of the public care about AR/VR. It will just be another product some people will buy. Its no great inovation or world sharttering tech. Techno heads will buy it up as they do with anything new, whether it's useful; or not! That most likley is not what Apple fanatics want to hear but it is what it is.

Says everyone until they see the game changer for themselves. Everyone else has tried and failed, so you think Apple is doomed to fail too. The majority of the public don't care about AR/VR because they haven't seen anything so far that would draw them to it. But that is what Apple does best. Not necessarily innovation or world shattering tech, but taking what currently exists and ironing out the kinks and distilling it until they can provide an EXPERIENCE that is simply irresistible. Once that happens, public opinion will shift. It won't happen overnight. But give it a few years and this could be the start of something huge. Then everyone will follow and say it was inevitable.

macxpress 5910 comments · 16 Years

manwithnoname said:

I don't think the majority of the public care about AR/VR. It will just be another product some people will buy. Its no great inovation or world sharttering tech. Techno heads will buy it up as they do with anything new, whether it's useful; or not! That most likley is not what Apple fanatics want to hear but it is what it is.

The majority of the public most likely didn't care about a smartphone until Apple changed that. The majority of the public didn't care about an ultra-portable tablet device (iPad) until Apple changed that. We could go on and on about what the public doesn't care about, until it does something that changes their lives.

thrang 1033 comments · 17 Years

I have posted many times... IMO, this device, while slow to be adopted, will benefit Apple much more in many vertical business segments, healthcare, government, military, law enforcement, education, and assistive services, rather than just what the general public would use it for. It's also a developer focused launch once they show the frameworks and internal apps (and I suspect you will see some special third party demos as well), $3,000 is chump change for a serious developer to invest, and they will be the bulk of buyers for this version. The pump has to be primed. The third party solutions that sprout from that investment will form the basis of the Version 2's wider adoption.

It's not to say that gaming and other general public interest apps won't be large part, but other than the iPhone, Apple still has a wide open field in front of them in most of the sectors above, and more... this could be interesting....