Apple is expected to unveil a mixed-reality headset at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in California, and all eyes are on the company.
It would be the most significant product launch by the technology behemoth since it unveiled the Apple Watch in 2015.
In his keynote address, Tim Cook is anticipated to declare that this new product is the future.
But its anticipated price tag of approximately $3,000 (£2,400) may make it difficult to sell to consumers.
External battery
Although Apple has not yet confirmed its existence, rumours indicate that the headset will provide virtual and augmented reality experiences.
Online images depict the “Reality Pro” as resembling ski spectacles with a wraparound frame.
Apple has reportedly reduced the size and weight of its headphones by removing the internal battery. Users will be required to transport an external battery that is connected via cable to the headset.
The headpiece will not be immediately available for purchase following its unveiling at WWDC, according to rumours. Instead, it will be available later in the year.
Streamed in real time
WWDC will lend “validation and credibility” to the technology as a whole, according to Sol Rogers of visual-effects film studio Magnopus, who told BBC News that the industry will not change overnight as a result of the conference.
And when Apple “finds success,” it will “redefine our digital and physical realities and propel us into a future in which the extraordinary becomes commonplace.”
The conference, which will be held at Apple Park, the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, will be live-streamed on the company’s website and YouTube channel.
Mr. Cook is also anticipated to discuss the artificial intelligence (AI) strategy of Apple.
Fiercely disputed
Since the emergence of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, consumers’ interest in deploying generative AI on their iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Macs has increased.
Apple has been less vocal than Microsoft and Google regarding this fiercely contested AI arms race.
Recent employment postings for additional software engineers, however, suggest that the company intends to increase its AI expertise.
Additionally, Apple is anticipated to unveil a 15-inch (38-centimeter) MacBook Air laptop and updates to its iOS, iPadOS, and macOS operating systems.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple would introduce an iPhone application for mental health journaling at WWDC.
Last week:
Meta teased the latest virtual-reality headset, the Quest, with a significantly reduced price of $499 (£402)
Lenovo has introduced a new ThinkReality VRX headgear.
Meta has also made substantial investments in mixed-reality, but the industry is currently ailing.
According to the International Data Corporation, the global headwear market saw a 54% decline in sales in 2017.
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, will likely be betting that Tim Cook will make headsets the next big thing.
