Apple finishes announcing its first mixed reality glasses

Apple is preparing for its entry into a new product category with the highly anticipated presentation of its first mixed reality glasses. The tech giant can boast of the device June 5 next during the opening day of his conferenceto the developers, as various media have leaked in recent weeks.

The market is waiting because the last time Apple entered a new category was in 2015, when its first smartwatch went on sale. apple watch. It will also be the first product category to be developed entirely under supervision Tim Cook, Ever since the Apple Watch began to take shape during the Steve Jobs era.

According to the leaks, Apple will show a device the size of ski goggles with an external battery. The glasses fall into what is known as mixed reality. On the one hand, they will allow you to live immersive experiences in a virtual world, but they can also be used as sunglasses augmented reality By superimposing digital information on top of the real world.

The Apple device will be a niche product, aimed at developers (creating an attractive showcase for apps is paramount) and a small group of fans of the brand who are early adopters of great technological innovations.

Glasses will cost around 3000 Dollars I will hit the market during this autumn. The company, which has been in product development for seven years, manages to forecast first-year sales of around 1 million units.

doubt

Experts are divided on Apple’s entry into this market. Some are skeptical about the move, which they consider unconventional for Apple and even risky because it means betting on a specialized product.

To date, the market for virtual, augmented and mixed reality glasses Failed to take off. Last year, sales fell 21% year over year to 8.8 million units, according to data from consulting firm IDC. The current leader is dead with his glasses on The pursuit of the goalwhich owns nearly 80% of the market share.

In addition to virtual reality headsets designed above all for the gaming world, Meta has a mixed reality proposal, and Meta Quest Pro for 1,200 euros. These glasses allow you to interact with the virtual world without losing your presence in the physical space, which is displayed in color and in high definition. In addition, it has just announced Meta Quest 3, which will cost $499 And they will be marketed this fall, which also fall into this range.

Microsoft Mixed reality glasses launched Hololyn in 2016, but in these years it has not ceased to be a niche product with applications in certain professional fields.

For its part, Google has canceled its first smart glasses google javas, later revived the project on the business front, until finally announcing in March that it would no longer sell the device. Meanwhile, he is working on a new concept for Augmented reality glasses, a segment that Meta and Apple are also looking at. Many experts agree that this kind of lightweight framed, designer glasses that overlay digital information over the real world will be a game-changer, but technical challenges still need to be resolved.

Apple power

For this reason, Apple is currently taking the first step with a Mixed reality. The most optimistic are confident of its success, as Apple has clearly demonstrated in the past its ability to make product categories take off, as it has with music players, smartphones and smartwatches. “Historically, the market has underestimated the long-term impact of the products and services that Apple launches,” they say at Morgan Stanley.

Along these lines, Gene Munster, an analyst at Deepwater Asset Management, applauded the move. “Many investors are skeptical that glasses are currently a solution in search of a problem. I believe the trend towards more inclusive consumer technology experiences will continue, paving the way for a more robust market. By 2030, the wearables/glasses segment could account for over 10 % of Apple’s sales, of a comparable size to its current Mac and iPad business,” it said in a note to investors.

One of the keys to getting consumers interested, in addition to lowering prices, is finding that Revolutionary application That gives these glasses a purpose. For example, in the case of smartwatches, the impetus for their adoption came when users began to see their usefulness in the field of health and sports.

At the moment, games have proven to be insufficient for users to get attached to extended reality glasses. Does Apple hold the key to success?