The rumors have been spreading for years and we can see that a tentative conclusion can gradually be drawn about the release date of Apple's AR headset. Spoiler: It might be sooner than you think!
Release Apple's AR headset
When the first rumors started to roll, all kinds of dates started going into the rumor mill thrown: 2019, 2020, 2022, 2025 and more years. It is also the case that Apple is probably working on several types of AR and VR products. This makes it more difficult to predict a date, as it is not always entirely certain which product is being rumored.
If we can predict one thing with ever greater certainty, it will be the year in which Apple&rsquo ;s first AR headset to hit the market. Previous rumors already talked about 2022and Kuo predicts the same today. He expects the launch to take place in the fourth quarter. That could possibly be within a calendar year from today. He makes the prediction in a memo to investors, seen by 9to5Mac. Such a headset would eventually make the iPhone obsolete.
Apple, as usual, does not reveal anything about the arrival of new products. We therefore expect that there will only be real certainty when Apple announces it. Knowing Apple, this brand new product category will be treated with extra secrecy. Incidentally, this has already failed in the past.
Apple's roadmap for AR and VR products
Apple is said to have a roadmap for the development of Apple's AR and VR products. In 2022, Apple will kick off with an Augmented Reality headset. This will be the very first generation, and we expect this generation to be just like other first generations of Apple products. This means that it is only interesting for a small group of early adopters and that most people should wait for the second generation.
Three years later, in 2025, Apple will announce its own glasses with smart functions . The next big step will only be taken after 2030, and we expect it in the form of contact lenses. That is of course still very future music, so we take that with a large grain of salt. We expect Apple to release interim upgrades for its products. Whether this will also be an annual event, as is the case with the iPhone and Apple Watch, is still unknown.
As far as Ming-Chi Kuo's predictions are concerned, the iPhone will be obsolete within 10 years. We do not yet know how realistic that prediction is. However, it is an interesting and not entirely impossible situation.
Are you looking forward to Apple's AR headset? Let us know in the comments!