Apple’s Reality Pro headset may launch sooner than anyone expected
A new report has suggested Apple’s Reality Pro mixed-reality headset could go on sale this summer. It’s a much sooner date than anyone previously expected.
Tfoso
By
Alex Blake
April 27, 2023 3:16AM 
Apple’s mixed-reality headset is probably the company’s worst-kept secret at this point, and multiple rumors have claimed it will launch at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. What’s less clear is when the device will actually go on sale, but a fresh report might have just leaked this top-secret detail.
The information comes from Taiwan’s Economic Daily News (machine translation), which has just released a report on the Reality Pro headset. In that report, the outlet claims Apple is in a “final sprint” to get the product ready, suggesting it is almost ready to ship.
Mark Nazh/ShutterstockInterestingly, the report cites Foxconn subsidiary GIS, which it claims will be fitting the lenses to the Reality Pro. The report notes that GIS believes it will start shipping a metaverse product “from the second quarter” of 2023. That oblique statement is thought to be a reference to Apple’s headset.
The second quarter runs until the end of June 2023, suggesting that the headset could launch mere weeks after WWDC kicks off on June 5. That would be a remarkably short window considering how many problems the headset is rumored to have faced, even as recently as earlier this month.
Shipping by the summer?
Ahmed Chenni, Freelancer.comThat said, Economic Daily News allows for a little wiggle room when it comes to the shipping date. Further down in the report is the assertion that the headset’s “mass production and shipment will begin in the second and third quarters.” The third quarter runs from July 1 to September 30.
Yet even that date might be ambitious. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has recently claimed that the many delays the headset has faced mean Apple will simply be happy to get it onto store shelves in time for the holidays. Previously, Gurman had expected the device to be revealed in March and start shipping in September.
Still, the report from Economic Daily News suggests at least one company is optimistic that the Reality Pro could go on sale as soon as this summer. If Apple is able to pull off a June launch, it will mark an impressive turnaround for a device seemingly plagued by setbacks and delays.
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In ancient times, people like Alex would have been shunned for their nerdy ways and strange opinions on cheese. Today, he fits right in at Digital Trends, where he writes about all things Apple, from the latest devices to ongoing developments and everything in between. He’s loved tech ever since he realized video games were about as fun as real people, but easier to manage and much cheaper.
He was first drawn to Apple thanks to its combination of beautiful design and aspirational price tags that helped remind him of his place somewhere between grunt and serf. He’s written for brands like TechRadar, GamesRadar and MacFormat, and runs a popular blog dedicated to EA’s FIFA series. They say that if the wind’s just right and you really listen hard enough, you can hear him ranting about FIFA’s career mode from anywhere in the world.
Apple may embrace the metaverse now after all
Apple CEO Time Cook described something similar to the metaverse in a recent interview, possibly changing his mind about a digital world to enhance our own.
The most recent revelation about Cook's changing ideas about AR/VR technology and the metaverse comes from an interview in GQ. "My thinking always evolves. Steve taught me well: never to get married to your convictions of yesterday," Cook mused.
Apple just patented a new VR headset controller — but there’s a catch
Apple’s mixed-reality headset is due to launch this June at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), and a freshly published patent hints at some of the controllers Apple might offer with the device. But some major caveats could prevent these accessories from ever seeing the light of day.
The patent (number 20230096068) describes how Apple could create a handheld controller with a “torque feedback mechanism” to provide immersive physical responses while using a mixed-reality headset. That might help offset the drawbacks of virtual input methods (like touchscreens), which can “detract from the realism” of the experience and leave a user unsure if their input has properly registered, according to Apple.
Apple would be smart to delay the Reality Pro from WWDC
A new report says the highly anticipated Reality Pro headset from Apple has once again been delayed and may not make an appearance at WWDC 2023 after all. It comes from a reputable source too, the analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and just a day after the official event was announced.
On one hand, I'm a little disappointed by the new rumor. We've all been hearing about this rumored headset for years now, and the multiple delays have left me so curious about what Apple has worked up. Apple rarely launches new product categories, and when it does, it's usually a pretty big deal. It's been eight years since the original Apple Watch, and the tech industry feels ready for another shake-up.
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