Apple VR/AR Headset Preparation Update: Is It Still Coming to 2023?

Amid the long wait for Apple's augmented, virtual reality headset, what is the company doing in preparation for the release?

Recently, Tech Times reported that an Apple-focused analyst revealed that the iPhone maker will not be able to ship its long-rumored mixed AR and VR headset until the second half of 2023 due to "software-related challenges."

Apple has already given the device to a select group of well-known software developers for testing, enabling them to begin working on third-party applications. The operating system for the device, internally known as "Borealis," will be referred to as xrOS in the public domain.

However, despite the delay in the upcoming headset, Apple is reportedly on the move to prepare for the launch of its highly anticipated products and updates this year.

What Comes Next for Apple's AR/VR Headset

While tech fans wait for the upcoming AR/VR headset, Bloomberg reports that Apple is updating the Apple Store app for the iPhone to include augmented reality features that turn on when a user enters one of its retail locations.

Customers could point their iPhones at a product, such as an Apple Watch band or a Mac, and a graphic would appear on the screen with further details about the object's features and price.

Prior to the release of iOS 14 in 2020, Apple started developing the service, and in recent months, it has been tested in stores. To allow other retail outlets to benefit from it as well, the feature would come with an API for developers. If the service comes soon, it will be one of Apple's most major augmented reality device launches and a preview of what the headgear will bring.

According to Phone Arena, Kuo predicts that mass shipments of the device's components would probably occur in the first half or second quarter of 2023 as a result of the delay but that Apple will probably only sell approximately 500,000 units overall. He points out that the market anticipates Apple to ship between 800,000 and 1.2 million devices in 2023.

Apple's Pending Devices for 2023

Alongside Apple's AR/VR headset in the queue for release this year, here are some of the company's other anticipated devices and plans:

• The new MacBook Pros, which will be available in the first part of this year, will have the same styles and features as the 14-inch and 16-inch variants currently on the market, but they will also come with M2 Pro and M2 Max CPUs. From current MacBook Pro processors, those are only slight improvements.
• A larger iMac Pro has been on and off Apple's development schedule. It won't be until the M3 chip is ready, which is most likely not until late 2023 or 2024 at the earliest, that the 24-inch iMac will receive a specification upgrade.
• A 15-inch MacBook Air is planned to be launched as well.