If such a device does surface, it’s likely to be one of the most divisive reveals in recent memory. To some, the headset is more of a “science project” than a serious product. But to others, it could be the shot in the arm that the virtual reality and augmented reality communities have been waiting for.
“While other AR headsets have shown tepid success such as Meta’s Quest, we believe Apple’s Reality Pro will come with many apps and use cases that will distinguish this new product within the Cupertino hardware arsenal,” Daniel Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, wrote in an investor note.
It’s not clear when Apple plans to officially release this new device or how much it plans to charge when it does. Early estimates have pegged the wearable’s price around $3,000, far more than the current crop of high-end virtual reality headsets produced by companies like Meta and HTC.
But that hardware is only part of the equation. Apple is also expected to show off some of the software and experiences that the headset makes possible — the reasons it hopes enthusiasts will actually spend thousands of dollars on its new product.
That early suite of features is said to include tools for virtual meetings and workouts, the ability to use the headset as an external display for Mac computers and a way to interact with existing iPad apps, according to a Bloomberg report. Apple is also expected to show off new games and features for watching videos.
Here’s how Apple’s headset fits into a larger landscape, and everything else we expect to see at the conference.
Apple to debut headset as industry cuts back
While Apple’s headset finally seems like a lock for this year’s conference, its debut arrives in a period of change for the “extended reality” or XR industry, a blanket term to describe a handful of related technologies that include virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality.
In a quest to make Meta — which produces the Quest series of headsets — leaner and more efficient, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has overseen waves of job cuts, some of which have affected the company’s AR/VR-focused Reality Labs division. Microsoft is said to have trimmed workers on its virtual- and mixed-reality teams as part of the company’s high-profile layoffs, announced early this year.
That’s not to say the industry has lost faith in these technologies. Days before Apple’s conference, Meta announced that it would begin selling its latest headset — the $499 Quest 3 — later this year. And Samsung all but confirmed in February that it’s working on an XR headset in partnership with Google and Qualcomm. But it’ll be on Apple to prove that its headset is viable and valuable in a way that others aren’t yet, despite their years-long head start.
Apple rumored to bring iOS 17, MacBook Air announcements
While Apple’s new headset is likely to steal the show, the company also relies on WWDC to update developers — and eager users — on the state of its upcoming software.
Its iOS, which powers iPhones, generally gets most of the attention. This year, iPhones could gain the ability to double as a smart display while sitting unused and charging, according to Bloomberg. Various reports suggest iOS 17 will include a new app meant to get users journaling, and Apple publicly described a suite of new accessibility tools — including one that lets users create a sound-alike AI voice model — last month.
It also seems likely that Apple will have more hardware to show off than just its headset.
Last year, the company took a few moments near the top of its presentation to tout its newly redesigned MacBook Air. Industry watchers predict that this time, Apple will have a larger, 15-inch version of that machine ready for the spotlight, as well as a pair of new, high-powered Mac desktop computers.
Apple declined to comment on its product launches.
We’ll be updating this story live with everything you need to know. Keep following our coverage here.
