Apple ‘likely’ to release long-rumored AR/VR headset in January, says Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple’s long-rumored mixed-reality AR/VR headset will “likely release in January 2023,” according to respected industry analysts Ming-Chi Kuo who says Apple will be a “game-changer for the headset industry.”

In a post on Medium, Kuo says Apple’s new headset will be “the most complicated product Apple has ever designed,” adding that the device will “offer an excellent immersive experience” supporting AR/MR video see-thru, spurring continued rapid growth of the global headset sector.

Last month Kuo said engineering validation testing (also known as EVT) will likely begin in the coming months, aligning with a release in early 2023.

The rumored device will reportedly feature two ultra-high-resolution 8K displays with a “bevy” of other features, including advanced eye-tracking technology and the ability to pass video of the real world through the visor and display it to the user, offering a “mixed-reality effect.” It will mark Apple’s first major new product launch since the original Apple Watch in October 2014.

Last year we saw The Information publish a sketch of the upcoming headset, claiming to have seen secret internal imagery from an unnamed source “with direct knowledge” of the development, reporting that the device will offer a “sleek, curved visor attached to the face by a mesh material and swappable headbands.”

Image: Ian Zelbo

Concept creator Ian Zelbo has released visuals showing what Apple’s new headset will probably look like based on earlier leaked information, featuring an Apple Watch-style adjustable headband and AirPods Max reminiscent mesh cushion for comfort around the wearer’s eyes.

Image: Ian Zelbo