Apple's upcoming mixed-reality headset is said to "far exceed" the capabilities of competitor devices, though production issues could delay the mass rollout.
That's the latest details from The Wall Street Journal, whose reporting corroborates many of the details we've seen emerge relating to the rumored Apple Reality Pro headset over the last few months.
The most notable is that Apple appears to still be aiming to unveil the "experimental" headset at WWDC 2023 in early June, with several sessions dedicated to showing off software for the headset.
The Apple headset is also described as being able to offer "greater levels of performance and immersion" than other mixed-reality headsets - something Oculus founder Palmer Luckey appears to agree with, after posting the tweet below.
The Apple headset is so good.
— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) May 14, 2023
As we've already seen widely reported, WSJ indicates the headset will cost $3,000, resemble ski goggles, and require a waist-mounted external battery pack, with support for FaceTime, Apple Fitness+, and gaming representing some of its many uses.
But while the unveiling could be just a few weeks away, WSJ suggests that mass production may not actually begin until September due to manufacturing delays.
No other specific details are noted in the piece, but this potential issue could suggest that the headset may not actually arrive to the public in 2023, as has been consistently reported over the last six months.
It's likely the true availability details won't be fixed in place until just before the announcement on 5 June, but this is certainly one to watch as we get closer to the official unveiling.
How we test
Conor moved to Wareable Media Group in 2017, initially covering all the latest developments in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and VR. He made a name for himself writing about trying out translation earbuds on a first date and cycling with a wearable airbag, as well as covering the industry’s latest releases.
Following a stint as Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint, Conor returned to Wareable Media Group in 2022 as Editor-at-Large. Conor has become a wearables expert, and helps people get more from their wearable tech, via Wareable's considerable how-to-based guides.
He has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, Metro, The Independent, and The Mirror.