For years, Apple journalist Mark Gurman has leaked information about Apple’s upcoming XR headset. Now, shortly before the possible presentation, he is skeptical. Could fate befall Apple’s same headset as HoloLens and Co?
Sales of VR, AR and newer XR headsets have fallen far short of forecasts since the big hype around 2016.
With Meta and Sony, two other large companies are investing in XR hardware, with Meta taking significantly more risks than the Japanese, who “only” brought VR glasses onto the market with PSVR 2 as a console accessory. And there is a big player like Microsoft or Samsung, who either pulled out again or didn’t really get involved at all (eg LG).
Apple headset: German looks like a flop risk
Some expect that Apple’s entry into the market will give the industry a new impetus. are you why actually Can Apple’s hardware and software really be so far ahead of all previous alternatives that suddenly everything works that XR had to struggle with so far, such as the excessive carrying and operating effort and the (partially resulting) restricted application scenarios?
Gurman Exactly describes the Apple headset in his current newsletter as a technical marvel that is clearly superior to anything currently on the market. Nevertheless, it is “too impractical and too expensive for most consumers”.
Gurman is skeptical: the device lacks a killer app. Apple is hoping for immersive video, integration with other Apple products, and advanced Facetime VR calling that will also appeal to consumers.
“I’m skeptical that that’s enough,” Gurman writes. The headset also doesn’t offer a clear advantage over Apple’s existing products. “The price is high, uses are limited, and most consumers are suspicious,” Gurman writes.
So far, Apple has entered the current markets and offered a new product there. These AR and VR headsets are still a new product category for which consumers have yet to be persuaded. Apple’s reputation for success is at stake, Gurman said.
Apple headset could be positioned as a foretaste of the computing future
Apple expects a lot of subdued demand. According to reports, the company will only produce around one million devices in the first year. The iPhone, the iPad and the Apple Watch sold millions in the first few weeks and months after their market launch.
Apple could try to position its first own headset as a foretaste of future products, says Gurman. To do this, Apple’s marketing department has to act more cautiously than usual.
Now, the launch is a full-fledged advancement, and the full amount is priced at $1,000. Rumor has it that Apple is already working on a second, cheaper pair of mixed reality glasses.
Gurman only sees a breakthrough comparable to the iPhone with real AR glasses that offer the price, functions and battery life of an iPhone. It is precisely these glasses that Apple is said to have recently postponed indefinitely due to technical problems.
According to Gurman, some people in Apple management are convinced that the new product category has the potential to supersede the iPhone as a trademark. The Interne Vision is a headset that can be worn all day, anywhere, on laptops and smartphones. Apple’s first mixed reality glasses could be a taste of that future, or as Gurman puts it, a non-starter.
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, Apple analyst sees risk of flop with XR headset
