Apple finalizes the details of the launch of a new category of products, and that is usually synonymous with a shake-up in the technology industry. It is a virtual reality viewer from the Reality range, and some of the sources closest to the Cupertino company have already set a date for its official announcement. According to Bloomberg analyst, Mark Gurman would be during the 2023 Developers Conference (WWDC, for its acronym in English, Worldwide Developers Conference), which this year will take place from June 5 to 9.
Even so, several American media specify, the glasses would be launched on the market in 2026 or 2027 “at the earliest”. In recent months some details about the device have already been revealed, such as that these mixed reality glasses are developed with the technology metalens.Although the project has suffered ups and downs in recent years, Apple’s commitment to virtual reality seems firm.Not surprisingly, Tim Cook recently revealed that he considers augmented reality as the next great technological revolution.
In addition, it is expected that the latest news from the operating systems of the apple company (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS), as well as other services, will also be announced during the June event. In the event that these glasses are presented at WWDC, it would be the first great product that Apple has launched since 2015, when the first Apple Watch was launched.
In Gurman’s line, the analyst Ming Chi-Kuo also spoke, who commented that this product would arrive later than expected by the technology company because it still registered failures in its ‘software’. Now Kuo has commented what Apple is looking for with these glasses is to meet three objectives that the company has: reduce dependence on existing plastic lenses, take advantage of technological advantages and facilitate the use of metalens technology.
Mixed reality glasses will start slowly in the market, since Apple will manufacture “barely” one million units according to DigiTimes. In addition, this device will be aimed mainly at “commercial brands”. “For manufacturers in the supply chain, who benefit from ordering in quantity, this is not a particularly profitable order,” says the quoted header.
With this device, Apple wants to put on the table a new model of experimentation that has never been seen on a mass level. With these glasses a new model of interaction between humans and machines will be created and the graphical interfaces will no longer be limited by a rectangular screen. In addition, the glasses could cost 2,732.43 euros ($3,000) according to various rumors.
On the other hand, it should be noted that, according to Kuo, metallic lenses could replace the current low-end ones between 2028 and 2030. He has also predicted that “in the coming years, metallic lenses will gradually replace current plastic ones in 3D applications “.
In addition to the possible presentation of mixed reality glasses at WWDC 2023, new laptop models are expected to be shown. Taking into account that the 13-inch MacBook Air M2 was launched in the 2022 edition, it is possible that this coming June they will do so with a 15-inch screen and an M2 processor as well.
According to Gurman, Apple would be working on a 13-inch MacBook Pro whose price would be cheaper, as well as a 24-inch M2 iMac and new Mac Pros with Apple chips. Of course, as the analyst points out in his newsletter, these models will not be presented until 2024 and, therefore, they would not be seen at the next WWDC.