Apple’s big new headset release date is going to be delayed, report claims

Announcement had been expected in weeks

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The launch of Apple’s major new augmented reality headset may be delayed, according to a new report.

Apple had been hoping to launch the headset at an event in January, according to analyst Ming-chi Kuo, who has a track record of revealing the company’s plans. That would be ahead of mass shipments of the headsets arriving in the first half of 2023.

But Apple may now be forced to push that back into the second half of next year, according to a report. The delays are the result of software-related issues, he posted on Twitter.

While the company is still expected to start production in the first half of the year, the shipment of the full product will be delayed, he said.

He also indicated that Apple could sell fewer of the headsets than many have been expecting. It might only sell 500,000 of them in 2023, he said.

Apple’s planned January event could also be pushed back further in the year, Mr Kuo reported. While it could still stick to the same plan – and has launched first versions of products months before they were available before, as in the case of the Apple Watch – he noted that a large delay between announcement and release could hurt sales.

Apple has long been thought to be pitching the first version of its virtual and augmented reality headset as aimed primarily at developers, to allow them to start working on apps and experiences for such equipment. Later, the company would then release a cheaper and less bulky version of the technology that would be aimed at the public more generally, multiple reports have suggested.

As such, Apple could choose to unveil the headset at its Worldwide Developers Conference, which happens every June. The company has revealed hardware focused at professionals and developers during that event in the past.

That would also be in keeping with predictions that Apple would start shipping the product in the latter half of the year.

Apple has been rumoured to be working on its own augmented or virtual reality hardware for years. But in recent months, those reports have picked up, with suggestions that the hardware is finished and has been shown to Apple’s board.