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Kuo: Apple's Mixed-Reality Headset Could Launch as Late as 2024
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if that is the case and it may not actually come out until early next year, I wonder how much of the „demo“ today will actually just be a render to show off its POTENTIAL but never actually be released in that form. Mostly talking software capabilities and UI, not Hardware here.
ALSO we may not get a price at all today.
ALSO we may not get a price at all today.
Or:
3. This is initially aimed at developers and early adopters and isn't expected to sell in large quantities until the affordable consumer version comes out.
The MacBook Air started off as an eye-wateringly expensive executive toy. The original iPhone was a joke - relatively expensive and only available on one US network. They got better.
I'm deeply skeptical about the whole idea but I don't think the price of V1 is going to be the problem.
I guess that's the only explanation for why they were showing it on packaging all the way up until March 2019. Otherwise the only other explanation is that it never worked and they continued to believe that it would against all odds. That would be Apple's "Theranos moment".
It's still unprecedented of them to show off a non-working device at an event. It clearly gave them much more trouble than they ever thought it would.
Lisa => Mac
Arguably the Mac itself until the LC etc. came out in the early 90s.
iPod => Mini/Nano/Shuffle
MacBook Air
iPhone (in a way - it didn't get cheaper but the first version only worked on one US carrier)
Intel Mac developers kit & Apple Silicon Mac developers kit (expensive + registered developers only + hand it back after 6 months)
It just seems to me that saying it's for developers and early adopters is a way to spin low sales into a success story. "It won't sell well, but it's for developers, so it doesn't need to!"
Uh, yeah, it needs to.
The first iPhone was flawed but it was a commercial success. Apple sold 15 million 1st gen iPads. These first gen products improved greatly, but their initial releases were successful.
As for the Lisa, it was developed in tandem with the Macintosh by essentially rival factions within the company. It wasn't designed to sell poorly. It did and they learned from it, but it wasn't meant to be "developer only".
That keynote will likely forever be THE keynote: the perfect culmination of pent-up demand for a smart phone that played nice with Apple because literally every phone sucked when trying to interface with Apple - specifically macOS. I had a Palm Tree 650 on Verizon leading up to The Announcement as it was the closest thing to an Apple experience on a smart phone.
I'm not sure this keynote will have that moment as I don't think a mixed reality headset is a device that users need/use daily nor addressing the same pent-up demand scenario of '07. Still, I do think we will look back on this keynote (if not today then at some point down the road) as a watershed moment. What Apple will launch, and what is possible in the category, will not align - which, honestly, has no bearing on this launch or the future of the platform/category. Apple's device will likely look great/premium, offer simple, baseline functionality, with some interesting takes on some common uses in that space. But its main "feature" will be how well it works within and, by default, expands The Ecosystem. While there will be a very vocal set of detractors - which is always expected - I have a feeling it will set the stage for a pretty exciting next decade. We'll know a lot more here shortly.
Admittedly, I thought we might get that last minute ultra-spoiler. But it looks like Apple might have things sunder pretty tight wraps.
^That just really makes me wish the events were still in-person. If Tim Cook wants his "iPhone moment", it needs to be on stage in person like the old days.
If Tim Cook wants his "iPhone moment", it needs to be on stage in person like the old days.
Announcing a product so early when it won't be available until late 2023 or early 2024???
Hmm... some people here might say that that's rushing it or that an early announcement reeks of desperation
and they're doing it to get ahead before other companies enter the market. 🤣Intel Macs
2013 Mac Pro
2017 iMac Pro
Apple Silicon Macs
2019 Mac Pro
Pretty much every release of MacOS and iOS...
This has never happened in Apple's entire history. When have they ever released a developer/early adopter version of anything, only to follow up with something less expensive? Never.
I don't know why people keep repeating this idea when there's zero precedent for such a strategy. It also makes no sense. Components aren't suddenly going to plunge in cost. Apple isn't going to **** off all of those early adopters by releasing a product that costs half as much a year later. Apple isn't going to pack the headset with all kinds of cool tech only to release a totally gimped "consumer" version a year later either. Despite the high cost, the iPhone Pro is still the phone most people want. Most people don't choose the SE. No consumer is going to want a compromise/gimped headset when the top of the line model has all of the bells and whistles.
When Apple enters a market and sets a price point, that price point doesn't change much. Apple has never passed savings on to the customer. Whatever price Apple announces (maybe today?) is likely to be the headset's price for the forseeable future. There's no "consumer" version waiting in the wings.
Surely they have to mention the price? For the sake of their shareholders, if anything
It seems normal for a first gen product. The Apple Watch was announced in Sep of 2014 and released the following April. The iPhone also saw a delay. It’s better to take their time instead of rushing it to market. At least developers will have time to play with it and proved proper apps at launch.
I'm aware that Apple has announced products months, if not a year, before they were made available. It's not uncommon. I was just pointing out how when some companies do it, people here will say they're rushing it or being desperate.
Kuo: Apple's Mixed-Reality Headset Could Launch for as Late low as $32024 excluding taxes. Conversion rates and other shenanigans may apply.
Fixed for you by TitleCrawlerAI
Oh yeah - familiar with deltas between lunches and availability dates. But 7 months, if true, would be a record (I think). Regardless, I don’t care about said delta. Just excited to see something completely new from Apple.
Granted it took several years, but the current iPad is more powerful with more memory and cheaper than the first iPad
I'm guessing it cost around $1,500. This pre-launch rumor about $3,000 reminds me of the $1,000 iPad in 2010.