Apple Set To Launch A Mixed-Reality Device, May Be As Soon As 2022

It’s been long rumored that Apple Inc AAPL may soon launch a mixed-reality headset device, new reporting indicates is may be as soon as next year.

What Happened: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman writes in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter that the tech giant is “planning to unleash its own pricey device with advanced chips, displays, sensor, and avatar-based features as early as next year.”

Initial reports indicate that the anticipated Apple headset could cost at least $3000, although some analysts predict that it will cost closer to $1000. Gurman says the company is still determining if the mixed reality device will play games or just focus on augmented reality. The device may utilize the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.

Why It Matters: Gurman’s report comes as Facebook last week announced the rebranding of the company as Meta Platforms Inc FB. The social media giant will be focusing on building the "metaverse," and is expecting its investment in the hardware and VR segment to reduce operating profit in 2021 by approximately $10 billion.

In his newsletter, Gurman indicates that the anticipated Apple headset will have “both AR and VR capabilities.” He says Apple’s goal is to provide a “mixed reality experience that can handle games in high-quality virtual reality.”

Gurman has previously predicted that a true AR headset from Apple could be up to four years away, indicating that the first iteration may require the device to be paired with an iPhone for it to function properly.

Following Apple’s AR headset, the tech giant may proceed to launch a pair of smart glasses, which could be similar to Facebook’s newly launched Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses. Analysts do not expect such a product from Apple before 2025.

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