Kuo: Apple headset shipments may be delayed until the second half of 2023

Joe Rossignol

Long-rumored Apple AR/VR headset mass shipments may be delayed until the second half of 2023 due to unspecified “software issues,” according to the latest information provided today by tech analyst Ming -Chi Kuo. .

Ian Zelbo's Apple Headset Rendering
Kuo said that mass shipments of headset components would likely begin in the first half of 2023, but he believes mass shipments of fully assembled headsets may not begin until the second half of the year. This delay could result in a headset launch in the second half of 2023, even if Apple announces it earlier this year.

WWDC 2023 in June would be the right time for Apple to announce the headset along with a developer SDK to build AR/VR applications for the device.

Kuo previously stated that Apple planned to unveil the headset at a media event in January and begin mass shipping in the second quarter of 2023. Kuo isn't sure. whether a delay would result in a postponement of the January announcement, but he noted that too long a period between the media event and bulk shipments could hurt sales.

(7/8)
Bulk Delivery probably 1H23/2Q23, but due to the delayed end product bulk shipping schedule, Apple MR Headset shipment forecast in 2023 is likely to be less than 500K units, i.e. higher than the market consensus of 800-1200,000 units. –郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) December 4, 2022