According to Kuo, Apple's projected headgear would be its "most complex device" to date.
HIGHLIGHTS
Global competitors may copy Apple's mixed reality headgear.
Meta is anticipated to decrease VR investment.
With its headgear, Apple might increase demand for immersive entertainment.
According to well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple's rumoured mixed reality headset will "alter the game" in the market for augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) headsets. Additionally, the analyst reaffirmed that the mixed reality headgear will be released in January 2023. Apple's action is anticipated to be emulated by its international rivals, which will aid in the market expansion of mixed reality headsets. The competition already includes Meta, Sony, and HTC. In a similar vein, Microsoft has been catering to businesses with its HoloLens headgear, which supports mixed reality experiences.
To support the "continuing fast expansion" of the headset industry, Kuo predicted in a letter posted on Medium that Apple will "likely unveil" its mixed reality headset in January. A 2023 launch date for the headgear was also mentioned in some earlier publications. Kuo also stated earlier this month that the headgear will be unveiled during a press conference.
According to Kuo, the introduction of Apple AR and MR would increase demand for immersive gaming and multimedia entertainment.
The Cupertino company's headgear would be its "most difficult product," according to the analyst, and its development would include a lot of its current suppliers.
I believe that after Apple releases its AR/MR headset, its international competitors will fight to copy it, propelling the headset hardware market to the next stage of rapid growth and enhancing the ecosystem of connected services and content.
Contrary to Apple, Meta is lowering its focus on VR gear and slowing down its hardware spending. The economic downturn and difficulties in the core business, according to Kuo, are two factors contributing to the decline. Apple's latest privacy changes have made it challenging to produce advertising money, which is one of the company's major obstacles. Due to the privacy modifications made by the iPhone manufacturer, rival competitor Snap also suffered tremendously.
According to Kuo, Meta sold its Oculus VR devices at a loss in order to gradually increase its market share. However, the analyst claims that the approach is unsustainable given the "risk of core business recession" and would aid other current manufacturers of VR headsets in expanding their market.
The market's other companies, like Sony and HTC, stand to gain from Meta's reduced investment in VR technology.
It is anticipated that Sony will release the PlayStation VR2 headset in the first quarter of 2023, enabling additional AAA games to make their debuts with immersive experiences. At CES earlier this year, the headset was debuted. According to Kuo, HTC will also grow its shipping of VR headsets by at least 30 to 40 percent annually in 2022.
While Valve is rumoured to be working on a new headset to increase its market share in the VR space, Microsoft is also anticipated to release its new HoloLens device in the second half of the year.
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According to a report, Apple will release its AR glasses in the second half of 2024.
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At first, it was believed that Apple will launch its mixed reality headset this year in an effort to compete with other market competitors. However, the firm was forced to postpone the launch because of initial setbacks during the development phase.
