Apple’s rumored AR/VR headset expected to enter mass production in March 2023
Apple supplier Pegatron, who will be exclusively responsible for the mass production of the iPhone maker’s long-rumored AR/VR headset, is expected to begin mass production of the new device at the end of the first quarter of 2023, with initial production output expected to be low.
According to a new paywalled report by DigiTimes, estimated annual shipments for Apple’s mixed-reality headset will likely be “around 0.7 to 0.8 million units,” compared to previous reports that claimed the headset could see initial annual shipments reach 2.5 million units.
It has previously been rumored that the Apple AR/VR headset could be announced as soon as January 2023, with availability beginning in the months after the unveil.
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.”
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.