Apple plans to release a “more affordable” headset in 2025, Ming-Chi Kuo claims.
Ming-Chi Kuo is a TF International Securities analyst mostly known for predicting Apple products & moves over a year in advance using his supply chain sources.
Last year Bloomberg, Kuo and The Information released reports claiming Apple is working on a premium headset for VR and AR with high resolution color passthrough. Kuo claimed this headset will weigh less than Meta’s Quest 2 and feature high resolution OLED microdisplays, while The Information claims it will be powered by Apple’s M2 chip seen in the latest MacBooks. All sources indicate it will launch in 2023.
Bloomberg and The Information report the first generation product is set to be priced north of $2000. But a new report from Kuo claims the second generation will launch in 2025, and consist of both a high end model and “more affordable” model. Kuo predicts this strategy will let Apple reach 10 million units by 2026.
Meta executives say they sell Quest 2 at or near cost, resulting in a dramatically lower price than rumors suggest Apple will set for its first generation product. Back in November the CEO of Qualcomm, Meta’s chip provider, said Quest 2 was at 10 million units already – though a spokesperson later claimed this was merely an “average of third-party market size estimates”. Will Apple’s more affordable model approach Quest 2’s pricing, or be closer to Meta’s upcoming “significantly” higher than $800 Quest Pro?
For the first generation headset, Kuo predicts Apple will host a media event in January, deliver development kits 2-4 weeks later, and launch preorders in the second quarter of 2023 for a release before WWDC 2023. WWDC is Apple’s yearly software conference, almost always held in June.
