No matter how you feel about Apple’s long-rumored AR/VR, mass shipments of the units may be delayed until the second half of 2023 due to unspecified “software-related issues,” according to the latest information shared today by tech analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo has stated that he believes mass shipments for the headset are still likely for the first half of 2023, but he believes that mass shipments of fully assembled headsets may not begin until the second half of the year. This delay could result in the headset launching in the second half of 2023, even if Apple announces it earlier in the year.
It’s thought that WWDC 2023 in June would present an opportune time for Apple to announce the headset, along with an SDK that developers could use to write apps for the device.
Kuo had previously claimed that Apple planned to unveil the headset at a January 2023 media event and begin mass shipments in the second quarter of 2023. The analyst is unsure whether the delay would result in the January announcement being pushed back, but he did note that an overly lengthy period between a media event and mass shipments can hurt sales.
Apple’s headset is expected to be an expensive, niche product, with Kuo forecasting that the company will ship fewer than 500,000 headsets in 2023.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via MacRumors and @MingChiKuo