The release of Apple's AR and VR headset has long been planned for sometime in 2022, according to sources. That would mean that Apple has to announce the headset before this year, with WWDC being a logical candidate. But Bloomberg now writes that that chance is getting smaller. Overheating at the device is said to be one of the culprits causing Apple's mixed reality headset to be delayed.
‘Apple's mixed reality headset postponed’
According to Mark Gurman, who often shares reliable information about Apple's future plans, Apple planned to announce the headset during the upcoming WWDC. The WWDC is often used for the unveiling of completely new products, so that developers are also informed about them early. The last time that happened was with the HomePod, in 2017. But now Apple doesn't seem to be meeting that schedule.
Problems with overheating, cameras and the software would have thrown a spanner in the works. The announcement could therefore only be made later in the year, for example during an event in October or November. That could also affect the release of the mixed reality headset, as it may move it to 2023.
The problems with overheating would mainly be caused by the advanced chips. Chips of this power are normally only found in laptops, where there is more room to dissipate heat. Since you wear the headset on your head, that is quite a challenge for Apple.
According to sources, the headset combines augmented reality and virtual reality in one device. This means that you can fully immerse yourself in a virtual world (for example for games), but that you can also add virtual objects to the real world. It should be one of Apple's showpieces this year, although the price is likely to be high and it will mainly be a niche product.
Focus on own App Store in 2023
iOS 16 would already have support for the mixed reality headset. This update will be announced during WWDC 2022 and is expected to be released this September. In 2023, the main focus should be on its own App Store. Apple therefore plans to encourage developers to build apps for the device during WWDC in 2023.