Wall Street Journal: Apple's AR/VR head-mounted display strategy breaks the rules and is expected to be mass-produced in September

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) recently, Apple will launch a mixed reality headset in the next few weeks. This product is the most experimental and unconventional Apple product in history. One source revealed that the mixed reality headset is similar in appearance to ski goggles and uses a separate battery module. It is expected to cost about $3,000. It is worth noting that Oculus founder Palmer Luckey recently praised Apple's headset on Twitter and is suspected of having been exposed to the product, but he did not provide further explanation.

According to Qingting.com, in terms of release strategy, Apple’s mixed reality headset is expected to break the current industry tradition of releasing new products. For example, the device is announced while it is still in the experimental stage, and the product complexity exceeds that of any other device. In fact, it took Apple seven years to develop a mixed reality headset. It will take many years for the product to become popular, and it may not become a necessity for consumers as quickly as the Apple Watch and iPhone.

So what other information did WSJ reveal? Let’s take a look next:

◎ Over the past few months, Apple engineers and executives have been preparing for the announcement and demo version of the mixed reality headset at WWDC;

◎ According to supply chain sources, due to manufacturing delays, Apple headsets are expected to begin mass production in September and be delivered to most users as early as the fall;

◎ Apple’s headset faces challenges in software integration, manufacturing and marketing, so Apple employees and suppliers doubt it can be delivered on time;

◎ In the past, Apple has launched products with a high degree of completion, but its head-mounted display products are still in the experimental stage;

◎ US$3,000 is expected to be beyond the reach of many consumers;

◎ Apple encounters problems in head display manufacturing;

◎ Apple's mixed reality headset may use a split battery, the size of a palm, and can be fixed on the waist. This design is different from Apple's usual fashion and minimalist concept;

◎ Apple executives and analysts believe that it will take too long to develop an ideal AR/VR headset, and competitors have already entered the market. Considering that a lot of money has been invested in the headset, Apple has decided not to wait any longer;

◎ Since AR/VR and the Metaverse have not yet been widely adopted, Apple has taken certain risks in launching a mixed reality headset;

◎ Apple investors and potential partners question the potential of AR/VR and suspect that consumers may not spend too much money and time on this technology;

◎ Magic Leap founder Rony Abovitz is optimistic about Apple’s mixed reality headset, believing that Apple is expected to become the biggest winner in the AR/VR market, and given Apple’s scale, it has room to wait for the development of AR/VR;

◎ Industry insiders predict that Apple’s headset is expected to inject vitality into the Yuanverse market;

◎ People who have used Apple headsets pointed out that the product far exceeds its competitors in terms of functionality, performance and immersion;

◎ Former Apple senior director of global product marketing Michael Gartenberg said: It is unreasonable for Apple to launch a mixed reality headset. The company’s CEO Tim Cook prefers to sell products that the public loves rather than just targeting enthusiasts;

◎ According to former Apple employees, Apple has established a huge AR/VR head-mounted display department internally, headed by Mike Rockwell (previously working at Dolby). The team has great independence, almost like a start-up company Operation, free to experiment;

◎ According to people familiar with the matter, the Rockwell team has tried to launch AR/VR headsets many times in the past few years, but has been delayed due to software synergy and other reasons;

◎ In 2019, Apple software manager Kim Vorrath joined the AR/VR team to ensure that the headset can be shipped as planned, so the Rockwell team increased its research and development progress and has been operating in an intense and high-pressure mode;

◎ The Apple AR/VR team has developed multiple hardware prototypes and demos, and built a huge device to demonstrate the ideal performance of the headset. The device has an excellent experience, but it has many limitations when reduced to a head-mounted form. ;

◎ Former Apple employees pointed out that in the early days, Apple wanted to equip the head display with a wireless local base station to share computing tasks, but Jony Ive opposed this design and encouraged the team to develop an independent head display;

◎ People familiar with the matter said that Apple is trying to develop a killer application for AR/VR headsets, as well as a video calling function similar to FaceTime;

◎ Apple hopes to attract developers to develop content for mixed reality headsets at WWDC 2023, so a focus of this event is to discuss AR/VR software development.

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