Apple’s latest and coolest product could be released at the same time as the iPhone 15 line
Kuo says the Reality Pro mixed reality headset may be released alongside the iPhone 15 lineup
You may remember Kuo saying that last month Apple experienced delays due to issues encountered during mechanical drop tests. The delay was also blamed on software development tools not being available on time. As a result, the analyst pushed back its schedule, requesting that the bulk shipping of the AR/VR headset should happen in the third quarter of this year instead of the second quarter.
Kuo tweets that Reality Pro may be released alongside the iPhone 15 lineup
Kuo also reduced its estimate of total shipments for 2023 to just 500,000 headsets from its original 800,000 to 1.2 million units. The Reality Pro has been called the most complex device ever made by Apple by connoisseurs of the product. It’s expected to carry a price tag in the neighborhood of $2,000-$3,000 (that’s a posh neighborhood).
Apple has unveiled a product before and then waited a few months before releasing it. Right off the bat we can say that this was done with the original iPhone and the original Apple Watch. This is probably a good strategy for Apple as it gives developers the opportunity to create more apps for the product as nobody wants to spend a lot of money on the headset only to find a barren app store.
The headset will run a new operating system called xrOS (Extended Reality Operating System) and will reportedly have 12 cameras, head and body tracking sensors, spatial audio and a 4K micro-LED display for each eye. A Digital Crown is used to quickly transition users from the immersive world of virtual reality (featuring realistic simulations of specific environments) to augmented reality. The latter overlays a real feed with a layer of computer-generated data.
The Reality Pro is likely to be powered by a 5nm Apple M2 chip, packed with 20 billion transistors.
The iPhone 15 series is expected to be unveiled and released in September. This year the line could include the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and that iPhone 15 Ultra. We’ve been able to see the non-Pro models sporting a 48-megapixel wide rear camera replacing the 12-megapixel sensors, and all four models are expected to come with the multitasking Dynamic Island. The premium models are rumored to be constructed of titanium and The iPhone 15 Ultra could come with a periscope camera for improved optical zoom.
The second generation versions of the headset will be released by Apple in 2025
Kuo also said in a blog post today that the second-gen headsets will have two high-end and two low-end models. These units will not hit the market until 2025. A joint venture between Apple suppliers Luxshare and Pegatron called Luxcaseict will develop and produce the high-end headsets. The low-end models will be Foxconn’s responsibility.
One of the biggest differences between the first and second generation models will be pricing. Component prices will have dropped in price. Apple will also have a better idea of how to assemble the product, which should increase yields and allow Apple to drive down costs for consumers. We also expect Apple to remove some features, particularly on the lower-end models, to allow more consumers to purchase the headset.
If Apple learned an important lesson from the iPhone, it’s that hardware in as many hands as possible leads to recurring subscription payments and other software purchases. What revenue Apple doesn’t make by selling a cheaper version of the Reality Pro, it should more than recoup it by selling user apps, subscriptions, and other services.