The multitude of setbacks experienced by Apple and its employees with the rumored AR headset would be sufficient to warrant a delay, but the company’s executives are adamant about its release. A former engineer who worked on its development now claims in a report that Apple is under massive pressure to launch it.
Apple’s AR headset launch was being postponed for the past few years, new report sheds light on the company’s efforts to bring it to the market
The Reality Pro, which is rumored to be Apple’s AR headset’s official name, has reportedly been in development for seven years, and according to the Financial Times, the launch has been postponed several times. Now, one former engineer says that the company has been under pressure to ship it, though it is not confirmed which elements are responsible for this pressure.
“They have huge pressure to ship. They have been postponing the launch each year for the past [few] years.”
As you know, Apple is a publicly traded company, and board members often provide their views in certain areas. It is possible that the CEO, Tim Cook, was being pressured by these individuals to bring the headset to the market, though we are purely speculating at this time. Also, there are rumors that both Samsung and Google are preparing their own versions of a mixed-reality headset, so it could be possible Apple wants its AR headset to reach the market first to sway potential consumers.
At its rumored price of $3,000, the head-mounted is anything but affordable, and reviewers would likely brand the device as a niche product. With less than a million units reportedly being prepped, it is clear that the AR headset will not be a ‘home run’ for Apple, but at least its launch can cement the company’s position in the market, keeping the competition somewhat at bay with its rumored software integration with other products.
Even Apple’s design team did not see eye-to-eye with the company’s Chief Operations Officers, Jeff Williams, and Tim Cook, according to one report, claiming that the product was not ready to ship. Cook was later said to have demanded the product’s release, which is why we will likely see it in June. The report also touched on Cook’s legacy, stating that his tenure is nothing short of impressive.
Ever since he was appointed Apple’s CEO in 2011, the technology giant’s market capitalization has gone from $350 billion to $2.4 trillion. Under his leadership, two new product categories were created and were spearheaded by the Apple Watch and AirPods. Now with the AR headset’s impending launch, some argue that Cook’s legacy hands in the balance, but he has already transformed Apple into a trillion-dollar company, so we hardly believe that a lackluster launch will tarnish his reputation.
News Source: Financial Times
