Oliver Cragg / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Apple may have delayed its anticipated headset once again.
- The headset could launch along with the iPhone 15 in Q3.
- Apple’s suppliers may be getting concerned.
Every day Apple’s mixed reality (MR) headset sounds more and more like vaporware. Stop me when you think you’ve heard this one before. Apple may delay its AR/VR headset again, with plans to release it in Q3.
Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo took to Twitter today to say that the likelihood of Apple releasing its anticipated MR headset in spring is “decreasing.” Instead, it’s becoming more likely that the company will launch the headset along with the iPhone 15 in Q3.
The prediction for the mass shipment schedule is unchanged, but the likelihood of Apple’s 1st-gen AR/MR headset release at the spring event is decreasing. Meanwhile, the probability of the headset launch alongside iPhone 15 in 3Q23 is rising. https://t.co/jqd0xtbBUs
Previously, Kuo claimed that the headset would release in 2022. She later went on to say that the product had slipped to early 2023. It was then predicted that it would arrive sometime in spring before Bloomberg reported that the headset got pushed back two months. Until now, it was believed the Cupertino firm would finally reveal its MR product during its annual World Developers Conference.
In a Medium post, Kuo mentioned that the tech giant’s suppliers — Luxshare and Pegatron — are growing increasingly concerned about the development of the headset. Specifically, they are worried about how few shipments are expected, which may lead to difficulty generating “profits in the short term.” To save on costs, Pegatron is handing off its development and production resources to Likai — a joint venture between Pegatron and Luxshare.
A shareholder of Likai — Heshuo — has also expressed concern and has reportedly slowly started “withdrawing from the Apple headset business.”
Despite the concerns Apple’s suppliers have, it appears they are still developing and producing the company’s second-generation high-end and low-end MR headsets. Kuo says these headsets are expected to launch in 2025.
As for the first-generation headset, Kuo points out that Apple is “Luxshare’s largest customer, and Luxshare’s growth in 2023 and 2024 is entirely dependent on Apple’s orders.” As a result, they aren’t exactly in the best position to refuse Apple’s orders.
