Apple’s long-awaited mixed reality (MR) headset is scheduled for launch next year, according to a note by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo has been known to be accurate with his Apple predictions over the years. He also predicted that the iPhone maker will be bringing augmented reality (AR) based glasses in 2025, while a contact-lens-like AR product is scheduled between 2030 and 2040.
“We foresee that the helmet product will provide AR and VR experiences, while glasses and contact lens type of products are more likely to focus on AR applications,” Kuo wrote in the analyst note. He added that the company’s MR product could weigh between 100 and 200 grams and will be priced in the $1,000 range in the US.
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Further, Kuo said the headset will be “significantly better” than what is available on the market right now. It will use Sony’s micro-OLED displays and won’t require an iPhone to run. He said it will be “more like a portable product”, suggesting that this will be a standalone MR headset, something Silicon Valley companies have been working on for quite a while now.
Apple’s MR and AR headsets have been rumoured for some time now. While the company has shown interest in AR technology for a couple of years now, it has never confirmed the launch of such a headset. That said, between the company developing its own ARM-based chips last year, Apple could be looking to enable more use cases going forward.
The company has also developed its AR Kit software over the years, which enables developers to build apps for its iPhones and iPads. At the moment, Apple uses LIDAR-based cameras on various products in order to better their AR capabilities.
