Will We Miss Out On Next 'iPhone Moment?' Apple Analysts See AR/MR Headset Hurdles

Apple Inc.’s AAPL highly-anticipated mixed reality headset might not launch during the Worldwide Developer Conference or WWDC 2023 scheduled for June 5. 

What Happened: Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities and popular Apple leaker, took to Twitter to share his latest predictions — and it’s about the Cupertino-based tech giant’s upcoming headset. 

See Also: Apple To Launch MR Headset After 7 Years In Development But Focus May Have Cost Innovation In Other Products, Gurman Says

Kuo said Apple isn’t “very optimistic about the AR/MR headset” recreating the astounding “iPhone moment.” The company has pushed back the “mass production schedule for assembly” by another one to two months. 

“The delay also adds uncertainty to whether the new device will appear at WWDC 2023, as the market widely expects,” he added.  

According to Kuo, the concerns stemmed from factors like the economic downturn and a high selling price – $3000 to $4000. 

Why It’s Important: Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman also said Apple’s MR headset could look like a “dud” next to the tech giant’s existing lineup. 

He also estimated that the company could sell about a million headset units at $3,000 per unit in its first year without any immediate profit. 

It was previously reported that Apple plans to launch its first mixed-reality headset in the Spring of this year.

It is also projected that Sony Group Corp’s SONY PlayStation VR2, launched on Feb. 22 earlier this year, will sell less than 300,000 units by the end of this month. 

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