Will Apple Preview Highly-Anticipated Mixed Reality Goggles At WWDC 2021?

Apple Inc AAPL could preview the mixed reality (MR) goggles as a wildcard at its upcoming annual Worldwide Developers Conference, according to Loup Ventures Managing Partner Gene Munster — who has been closely tracking the company.

What Happened: While hardware announcements are rare at WWDC, the tech giant could still preview the MR goggles at the event as the product is dependent on developers and also unlikely to cannibalize sales of an existing Apple product, Munster said in an event preview note.

WWDC is being held virtually for the second year in the row. The event starts on June 7 and runs through June 11 and will allow more than 1,000 Apple engineers to connect on the software-focused show. 

See Also: Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference Is Almost Here: What You Need To Know

“The question: is the product even ready to be previewed?” Munster, who runs the research-driven venture capital firm, wrote in a note.

The Cupertino, California-based company’s mixed reality headset is expected to be launched in mid-2022 followed by an augmented reality glasses launch by 2025, as per well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

According to Munster, MR goggles will initially be a high-end niche product and broader consumer adoption will follow as developers build mixed and augmented reality applications. 

“In our view, mixed and augmented reality is an open-ended opportunity for Apple,” Munster said.

“Today, AR/MR headset adoption is so low it’s not even measurable. To change that, when Apple launches the product, the company will need to evangelize it through a comprehensive commerce-at-home strategy that’s currently just beginning.”

The company has been moving forward to pair features found in other Apple products such as AssistiveTouch with the headset and is foundational to any headset wearable product, Munster said.

Why It Matters: Apple’s Wearables, Home and Accessories unit is its third-largest and includes Airpods and Apple watch among other items. It one of the company's fastest growing segments.

While Apple does not break out unit sales of this segment, penetration for Watch and AirPods is expected to reach 35% plus in the longer-term, from 13% and 18%, Munster previously said.

See Also: Apple To See Revenue Growth Ahead Of Street Expectations Through 2025, Munster Estimates

Price Action: Apple shares closed 0.63% higher at $125.06 on Wednesday.