Tim Cook may be launching Apple VR headset earlier than engineers want
The expected 2023 launch of the Apple VR headset was an executive decision against the advice of the company's industrial design team, a report claims, with the latter preferring to wait until it could release AR glasses.
![A render of a potential Apple headset [AppleInsider]](https://photos5.appleinsider.com/gallery/53431-107217-46189-96988-Apple-VR-desk-crop-xl-xl.jpg)
A render of a potential Apple headset [AppleInsider]
Apple's long-rumored VR headset has been teased and talked about for years, but has yet to make it to launch. While current speculation has Apple finally bringing out the headset as soon as this summer's WWDC, some within the company apparently would've preferred waiting even longer.
In a profile of the project by the Financial Times, the push for launch is caused there being "huge pressure to ship," according to a former engineer who worked on the headset. "They have been postponing the launch each year for the past [few] years."
Though it is unclear why specifically it is frequently delayed, multiple people with knowledge of the project allude to there being tensions between the operations team and the famous industrial design team.
Operations is keen to release the "version one" product, the currently-speculated ski goggle headset design that would enable typical VR functionality. By contrast, the design team wanted to wait until a lightweight pair of AR glasses could be technically feasible to produce, though that could still be years away.
Apple CEO Tim Cook apparently sided with operations head Jeff Williams on the decision, sources claim, overruling the designers who, under Jony Ive, had considerable influence over future products. With design reporting to Williams and increased staff turnover, the design team has seemingly lost most of its sway.
Such a move to an operations-centric approach is a "logical progression" for the company under Cook's management, a former engineer offered. They also said the best part of working at Apple was to create engineering solutions to the "insane requirements" from the design team, but that feeling deteriorated over the years.
It is also anticipated that this initial offering will be a fairly low seller, with around a million units planned to be sold within 12 months, at a cost of $3,000 apiece.
While this may be considered low to observers given the scale of the company, the historical growth of product sales for other milestone products like the iPhone and Apple Watch may once again happen to the headset.
Analysts also reckon that the first release will be sold to loyal users and to show the development community something they can create apps for. With 34 million registered developers working in the Apple ecosystem and potentially making apps for the platform, the first unit could be used as a catalyst for growth for the second-generation release and beyond.
Read on AppleInsider
A render of a potential Apple headset [AppleInsider]
Apple's long-rumored VR headset has been teased and talked about for years, but has yet to make it to launch. While current speculation has Apple finally bringing out the headset as soon as this summer's WWDC, some within the company apparently would've preferred waiting even longer.
In a profile of the project by the Financial Times, the push for launch is caused there being "huge pressure to ship," according to a former engineer who worked on the headset. "They have been postponing the launch each year for the past [few] years."
Though it is unclear why specifically it is frequently delayed, multiple people with knowledge of the project allude to there being tensions between the operations team and the famous industrial design team.
Operations is keen to release the "version one" product, the currently-speculated ski goggle headset design that would enable typical VR functionality. By contrast, the design team wanted to wait until a lightweight pair of AR glasses could be technically feasible to produce, though that could still be years away.
Apple CEO Tim Cook apparently sided with operations head Jeff Williams on the decision, sources claim, overruling the designers who, under Jony Ive, had considerable influence over future products. With design reporting to Williams and increased staff turnover, the design team has seemingly lost most of its sway.
Such a move to an operations-centric approach is a "logical progression" for the company under Cook's management, a former engineer offered. They also said the best part of working at Apple was to create engineering solutions to the "insane requirements" from the design team, but that feeling deteriorated over the years.
It is also anticipated that this initial offering will be a fairly low seller, with around a million units planned to be sold within 12 months, at a cost of $3,000 apiece.
While this may be considered low to observers given the scale of the company, the historical growth of product sales for other milestone products like the iPhone and Apple Watch may once again happen to the headset.
Analysts also reckon that the first release will be sold to loyal users and to show the development community something they can create apps for. With 34 million registered developers working in the Apple ecosystem and potentially making apps for the platform, the first unit could be used as a catalyst for growth for the second-generation release and beyond.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
We cancelled the Quest 1 upgrade when Meta made a Facebook account a requirement for the Quest 2.
There were a few AR type releases at MWC this month and they are looking sleeker and sleeker.
However, for all things VR, AR, XR content and transport content are key.
That means gigabit Wi-Fi from a fibre connection or 5G.
If Apple at launch has nothing useful to show off then this might truely be the Newton (the major failure for the last post-Steve CEO) moment for the current Post-Steve CEO. Apple used to be able to proof it's not just a cool technical toy but also solves something in an 'insanely great' way and at this point there's nothing 'insanely great' with those heave VR headsets (except the price maybe).
That may not meet the requirements for a good experience in terms of battery life and image quality though.
Apple may decide to compromise for the early generation products. Even so, the lightest iPhone is capable of delivering this kind of AR experience so all they have to do is find a form factor that converts it into a headset.
There's a compact VR headset here for $999:
Apple's engineering team can do better than this. The technology is here for Apple to make a really good product in this space.
Build the hype build the catalogue of software over the 12 month then release the actual first gen.
This is a product that would seem to need that sort of lead in time
Besides, Cook seems to be a consensus builder and doesn't make lone wolf decisions. That's why Apple usually has those ducks in a row when something new comes out. Not always, mind you.
The product is interesting but not compelling.
Apple always attempts to solve the problem at hand properly, in a manner that suits the largest number of people. From that, one can infer that design (how it works) remains more important than engineering (how we make it work).
It then took awhile before the health focus came into view and then the product took over the smart watch market.
I for one never wanted to wear a conventional watch again and now I can’t think of not living with my Apple Watch Ultra (the first one I purchased for myself).
I suspect VR will follow the same trajectory for Apple.
The only thing that could possibly save it, is if Apple has created some sort of software that can act as an OS for a whole new ecosystem.
"This guy really knows what he's doing. As evidence I present the times where he's fucked up, because he must have learned from them."