The Apple AR/VR headset has apparently been delayed until late 2023

(Image credit: Future)

Apple's long-awaited augmented reality headset might not be released until late 2023 (via 9to5mac).

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reckons that Apple will delay "mass shipments" of its headset to "2H23" (the second half of 2023) in order to smooth out software wrinkles found in the company's rumoured 'xrOS' platform.

Kuo previously tipped Apple to unleash the headset in the second quarter of 2023 and ship up to 1.2 million headsets by the end of the year. But after factoring in the delay, Apple could now struggle to ship 500,000 units.

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The issue will likely affect the big unveil at the company's Apple Park HQ, which Kuo had originally tipped for January 2023. Apparently this is because Apple does not want a long delay between the unveil and the device becoming available in stores.

(4/8)It's already a market consensus the AR/VR headset device will be the next critical growth driver for optical industry. The market previously expected Apple's MR headset, which will start mass shipments in 2Q23, would be a spotlight in the low season of the optical industry.December 4, 2022

Apple's rumoured headset – possibly called 'AR Glass' – is said to run xrOS platform, rather than the previously reported 'realityOS' ('xr' stands for 'extended reality', according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman).

The headset has been said to feature micro OLED displays and virtual versions of the Apple's biggest apps, including Messages, FaceTime and Maps. It could even use iris-scanning for age verification and in-app purchases.

Not everyone agrees with Kuo's timeline, however. Earlier this year, Haitong Intl Tech Research analyst Jeff Pu suggested that the long-rumoured headset would be ready in prototype form by the end of 2023 – but that it wouldn't go on sale until 2024.

So, is Apple preparing to battle Meta for control of the metaverse? Apple CEO Tim Cook has not directly commented on the headset rumours but has said that he "couldn't be more excited" about AR and that fans should "stay tuned and... see what we have to offer".

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Tom is a journalist, copywriter and content designer based in the UK. He has written articles for T3, ShortList, The Sun, The Mail on Sunday, The Daily Telegraph, Elle Deco, The Sunday Times, Men's Health, Mr Porter, Oracle and many more (including What Hi-Fi?). His specialities include mobile technology, electric vehicles and video streaming.