Apple will show its mixed reality headset at WWDC 2023

Company Apple Inc. is gearing up to unveil its first mixed reality headset to the world, which could be the foundation of the post-iPhone era. Apple CEO Tim Cook will take the virtual stage at the Developer Conference on June 5 WWDC and will show a device that should be sold under the name Reality and cost about $3,000.

The Reality headset is the result of a seven-year development process that has been plagued by technical difficulties, internal disputes, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Initially conceived as a pair of lightweight augmented reality glasses that could be worn all day, the headset, according to insiders, has evolved into a more massive device, similar to ski goggles and requiring a separate battery.

The Reality headset will need to support both virtual reality (VR), and complemented (AR). In VR mode, users will be immersed in digital worlds, while in AR mode, they will see their surroundings through the video cameras on the headset. The device will also have an outdoor display showing the user’s eye movements and facial expressions.

Apple hopes that over time, the headset will be used by people throughout the day and become a complete replacement for the iPhone or Mac for everyday tasks such as gaming, browsing the Internet, email, video calls, collaboration, workouts, and even meditation. The company also collaborates with software developers, game developers, and other entertainment companies to create content for the headset.

For Cook, the release of this long-awaited product could be one of his last big steps as Apple’s CEO and also impact his legacy. For the company itself, this is the culmination of a multi-billion dollar development process and an opportunity to show other players in the market how this kind of equipment should have been made from the very beginning.

Despite Apple’s successful track record of reinventing existing technology, there is an air of doubt surrounding the Reality device. It departed from the original vision of Cook, whose approach to the development process was sometimes perceived by other employees as indecisive, leading to delays and resource issues, among other things.

However, in March 2023, according to insiders, the company already held a closed demonstration of the headset for its top 100 executives. And since rumors of a public presentation of the device at WWDC 2023 are only gaining momentum every day, the company definitely has something to show.

We are waiting and hoping that Apple will once again be able to turn the game around, demonstrating to the whole world something hitherto unimaginable.