Malcolm Owen
A leak claims Apple's name for its mixed-reality headset will be "XR," but the same rumor claims a questionable starting price of $1,999, not the previously-rumored $3,000.
Apple is mere hours away from holding its WWDC 2023 keynote, which is anticipated to include product launches alongside details of its operating system changes. For the most high-profile device in the list, it is claimed that a name has finally been chosen for it.
According to a post on Naver by serial leaker "Yeux1122," an image appearing as if it was a screenshot from Apple's website shows the headset as being called the "XR." The name has previously been bandied about via trademark listings, so it isn't entirely a surprise if it is true.
Confusingly, the same post refers to the headset as "The Apple Reality Pro," which was another name mentioned in trademarks and rumors.
The posted image also includes details about the headset, such as its use of "dual X1 chips," a "12-camera system," "stunning 8K XDR optics," and the use of "xrOS" as the operating system.
Both the image and the accompanying text mention it will start at $1,999, meaning there could be multiple options to choose from. Given Apple's other device lineups, this could mean different levels of storage and memory may be configurable.
The price is also a lot lower than rumors indicated. For quite some time, it was thought the first wave of Apple's headset releases could cost $3,000.
The last-minute leak isn't that clear with the name, and may not be entirely trustworthy. But with Apple's keynote happening later on Monday, there's not long before the truth is revealed.
AppleInsider is covering the news from Apple's WWDC 2023 Keynote, as well as providing extensive analysis after the presentation.
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14 Comments
That doesn't sound like a consumer friendly name. It will be wierd if Apple actually names it so.
This sounds very unlikely. Why dual identical chips? Something like a south-bridge makes much more sense to handle 12 cameras since you primarily divide in to two chips for I/O and make bigger chips for processing more. You want to share as much rendering as possible for the two displays on one chip. Anything is possible, but it doesn’t feel right. It also doesn’t follow the supply chain rumors, however there is a chip in the supply chain for the headset so it is possible everyone got it wrong. The name also sounds unlikely although Apple has done it with Apple Watch and Apple TV.
The tagline is way more Dell or Samsung than Apple.
100% fake.
The most important question with the headset is: does it have the “killer app” that will make it desirable for people like me. I cannot see myself now putting on a headset.
I am waiting now just like I did in 2007.
In August 2022, Kuo said 2000 dollars, which was widely reported then. It was the default figure people used. but then - and don't tell me Apple wasn't involved in this price rumour inflation - the figure being bandied about started to be 3000. How convenient. And now.. . oh yes... well actually...
the reality is this is going to be a product that is designed from the get-go to drive services /subscriptions - it's a vehicle for it all - they're not stupid from fitness to movies and beyond, and be sold quite likely through various financial tools with spread payments etc, so the upfront price can be 'tweaked' to Apple's desire and yet not represent the entire cost of the product over its life cycle.