Apple Inc was yesterday expected to show off a pricey mixed-reality headset at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, challenging Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc in a market that has yet to sizzle.
The iPhone maker has remained mum on reports that it is poised to unveil a headset for augmented or virtual-reality (VR) experiences at its annual jamboree for developers and app designers.
The release would be the most significant product launch by the iconic iPhone maker since it unveiled the Apple Watch in 2015.
Photo: Bloomberg
It could also invite more tensions between Apple CEO Tim Cook and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, who have feuded over the handling of their sprawling tech empires, especially over data issues and China ties.
Expectations were high that Apple would use the conference’s stage to spotlight a “Reality Pro” headset priced at about US$3,000, along with custom-made software for the gear, Wedbush Securities Inc analyst Dan Ives said in a note to investors.
“We believe Apple’s Reality Pro will come with many apps and use cases,” Ives said.
Cook as also expected to talk about the company’s strategy on artificial intelligence, which has been in the spotlight since start-up OpenAI released ChatGPT late last year.
The headset has been in development at Cupertino-based Apple for years, and would focus on gaming, streaming video and conferencing, as well as health and fitness, Ives said.
It was also expected to sync closely with other Apple devices, following the company’s strategy of using premium hardware to lock customers into other products and services.
“From all reports, Apple hoped to release a product that felt more like designer glasses than a gaming headset, but it’s releasing something much bulkier,” Insider Intelligence principal analyst Yory Wurmser said.
“It wants to get its device into the hands of early adopters and developers, who will start to build a [mixed-reality] ecosystem around Apple software,” Wurmser said.
A report by Bloomberg described the headset as a high-tech pair of ski googles that would project a wearer’s eyes and facial expressions on an external screen.
Just days before Apple’s event, Meta ramped up its line of Quest virtual-reality headgear.
A new-generation Quest 3 with improved performance and slimmed design would be available later this year at a starting price of US$500, Zuckerberg said.
The Facebook founder described the coming model as Meta’s “most powerful headset yet” and promised it would provide the best wireless way to experience virtual reality.
Zuckerberg has been adamant that Meta remains devoted to building for a future in which Internet life plays out in virtual worlds referred to as the metaverse.
“Meta has been the dominant VR manufacturer over the past several years, thanks to its cheap Quest devices,” Wurmser said.
However, Meta’s experience with the metaverse has been humbling, despite it being a leader in the emergent sector and many questioned whether Apple would in the end jump in.
And less than two years after changing its name to Meta to reflect a metaverse priority, the Facebook giant has fired tens of thousands of staff and promised to get back to its social media basics.
Meta’s false start follows the failure of Google Glass, the search engine giant’s decade long effort that was mothballed for good in March.
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