TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has come out with a new, more optimistic outlook on the release date for Apple’s mixed reality headset. According to the latest data from the expert, this device will most likely be released in January 2023.
This is not the first time Ming-Chi Kuo has announced the expected release date for Apple’s AR/VR headset, but before that, his forecasts had a wider scope. Last year, he said the headset would see the light of day in 2022, and earlier this month suggested that Apple pushed back its launch yet again, this time to the second quarter of 2023.
Of course, there is no guarantee that the headset will be released in January 2023, as Apple’s plans may change, or Kuo’s sources in the supply chain may not be correct. But the fact that he named a specific month speaks of the analyst’s firm confidence in his forecast.
Kuo’s optimistic forecast coincides with numerous reports of Apple’s increased activity in this direction. In particular, the company’s board of directors reportedly tested the headset in early May, the RealityOS trademark for the headset’s operating system was registered, and Apple CEO Tim Cook recently hinted at upcoming announcements regarding augmented reality technology.
Along with predicting the release date of Apple’s headset, the analyst suggested that its main competitor Meta will reduce short-term investments in the development of virtual reality devices in order to focus on the advertising business. This is despite the fact that Meta recently showed off many prototype VR headsets that are in development.