Apple’s AR Headset Expected in Second Quarter of 2020

We have long been talking about Apple’s AR headset plans, and it’s no secret that the company has been working towards an AR headset for quite some time now. The company has been long been investing in AR on iOS with ARKit, and we could finally see the Apple AR headset in 2020.

According to previous reports, the Apple AR headset was expected to arrive sometime in the first half of 2020, or around the middle of 2020. And now, according to a new report from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via MacRumors), the company is now targeting a Q2 2020 release, which means the new AR headset could launch along with the 2020 iPhones.

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

[ad unit=’in_content_premium_block’]

Apple’s AR headset is going to be marketed as something that works as an iPhone accessory, instead of a full-fledged AR headset. That means the product will rely on the iPhone for all the computing requirements, allowing Apple to offer a slim design for the AR headset.

And that will be crucial for the success of Apple’s AR headset. We are yet to get a true consumer-focused AR headset that appeals to the masses, and Apple will definitely go for something that appeals to the wide range of iPhone customers. And so, marketing it as an iPhone accessory could be the key.

Share post

Please check our Community Guidelines before commenting

Conversation 15 comments

  • Chris_Kez

    Premium Member
    09 October, 2019 - 7:44 am

    <p>That seems like an odd time to release such a device (rather than the typical September/October period). Perhaps the Q2 timing would give developers more time (and give Apple a chance to focus on it during WWDC).</p>

  • Daekar

    09 October, 2019 - 9:10 am

    <p>I hope Apple does well with this project. I have no intention of switching to iOS, but if they knock it out of the park the rest of the industry will step up their game to compete, and we might get AR that isn't terrible a bit sooner.</p>

  • dontbeevil

    09 October, 2019 - 10:03 am

    <p>Apple is going to invent hololens…. Revolutionaryyy</p>

    • Ron Diaz

      09 October, 2019 - 11:00 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#479171">In reply to dontbeevil:</a></em></blockquote><p>But theirs will work</p>

      • curtisspendlove

        09 October, 2019 - 11:22 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#479191">In reply to Hypnotoad:</a></em></blockquote><p>And will have developers developing apps for it.</p>

      • jrswarr

        Premium Member
        09 October, 2019 - 11:23 am

        <blockquote><a href="#479191"><em>In reply to Hypnotoad:</em></a><em> and cost twice as much….</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

      • dontbeevil

        09 October, 2019 - 2:40 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#479191">In reply to Hypnotoad:</a></em></blockquote><p>like ios 13?</p><p><br></p><p>p.s.</p><p>can you show me the fact that hololens doesn't work?</p>

    • MikeGalos

      09 October, 2019 - 11:26 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#479171">In reply to dontbeevil:</a></em></blockquote><p>No. It's not going to be a competitor for HoloLens. </p><p>Mehedi states it's "an iPhone accessory, instead of a full-fledged AR headset" so it's going to be another example of them doing half the job and then misusing the term to redefine the category as what they shipped.</p>

      • toukale

        09 October, 2019 - 2:47 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#479210">In reply to MikeGalos:</a></em></blockquote><p>I remember hearing those same critical comments from a lot of folks before about another Apple products (iPhone, Apple Watch, Airpods). Please, tell me how those products are doing in the market place?</p>

        • Andi

          09 October, 2019 - 3:04 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#479279">In reply to toukale:</a></em></blockquote><p>Those products are doing great first and foremost as iphone accessories. They don't stand on their own at all. The minute the AW becomes independent it's the moment it becomes redundant.</p>

          • toukale

            09 October, 2019 - 3:14 pm

            <blockquote><em><a href="#479285">In reply to Andi:</a></em></blockquote><p>I disagree completely with that notion. The Apple watch for instance would do a lot better if you did not need an iPhone. I know several users that would buy one if having an iPhone was not a requirement, I will include myself in that category. </p>

  • MikeGalos

    09 October, 2019 - 11:31 am

    <p>Mehedi, you say this will be an "<span style="color: rgb(49, 50, 51);">iPhone accessory for mass appeal."</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(49, 50, 51);">Which is it? An accessory for iPhone or something for mass appeal?</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(49, 50, 51);"><span class="ql-cursor"></span>iPhone only has 31% of the phone market and 16.5% of the overall computing device market and that includes all versions out there. </span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(49, 50, 51);"><span class="ql-cursor"></span>If it's only available as an option for a subset of 16.5% of devices that's hardly "mass appeal".</span></p>

    • dontbeevil

      09 October, 2019 - 2:42 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#479213">In reply to MikeGalos:</a></em></blockquote><p>I like to drop here this thurrot quote</p><p><br></p><p>"<em>Every year, some pretentious tech blogger has to remind his tech-infatuated (and probably Apple-loving) readers that there’s an Android update problem.</em>"</p><p><br></p><p>of course you can adapt to the contest</p>

    • curtisspendlove

      09 October, 2019 - 2:45 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#479213">In reply to MikeGalos:</a></em></blockquote><p>Well, numbers are funny things. :: shrug ::</p><p><br></p><p>If you go by numbers of iPhones, I think "mass appeal" is a decent description. If they work well, they could definitely drive purchases.</p><p><br></p><p>If Samsung came out with "glasses", and someone said it could be "mass appeal", I'd agree. Same with Google (I mean, if they ever came out with a version people wanted to use, or whatever).</p>

  • eric_rasmussen

    Premium Member
    09 October, 2019 - 1:51 pm

    <p>I don't understand why Microsoft doesn't devote any resources to this. The HoloLens has such an incredible cool factor that even if it loses money overall it's bound to win developers and hobbyists. If Apple can win over enthusiasts and developers, it would be bad for the Microsoft ecosystem.</p><p><br></p><p>I know Microsoft only really cares about Azure these days, but that doesn't seem to me like enough to carry the company into the future.</p><p><br></p><p>Maybe I'm too much into tech for the sake of tech to see things from the perspective of a normal person, but AR feels like it should be VR for the masses. There's no sickness because you can still see the real world, but being able to position things in 3D space accurately is magical. Combine that with hand tracking and voice control and you've got the best possible computer interface available for the general public. It seems obvious that this is a market waiting for a product to fill it, and Microsoft already has the tech side figured out. I just don't get it…</p>

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Thurrott © 2024 Thurrott LLC