Apple's 2nd mixed reality headset might be the one you can afford in 2025

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Apple Vr Ar Mixed Reality Headset
Apple Vr Ar Mixed Reality Headset (Image credit: LetsGoDigital and Concept Creator)

What you need to know

  • Apple is expected to release a second generation mixed reality headset in 2025.
  • The first offering is set to be announced next year and cost more than $3,000.
  • The second release is expected to have a cheaper option available but no price has been given.

Apple might have a mixed reality headset that people can actually afford ready to go by 2025 if a new report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo turns out to be accurate.

Writing on Medium, Kuo notes that the second-generation mixed reality headset will come in two flavors — one of which will be a more affordable option for those who skipped the first release. It's thought that component suppliers will be ready to start shipping their wares by the second half of 2024 in order to get ready for release.

The second-generation Apple AR/MR may have high-end and more-affordable models, which will launch in 1H25, and component suppliers will start shipping in 2H24.

The first generation mixed reality headset is expected to be announced as soon as the first part of next year, but it's also expected to sport a price that will put most off. An asking price starting around $3,000 seems to be the consensus, with Kuo claiming that shipments of the headset could reach 10 million units by 2025 or 2026. The cheaper option from 2025 is likely to help out there, although Kuo doesn't mention what the differences between the pair might be.

Apple AR/MR shipments may reach 10 million units as soon as 2025 or 2026, thanks to the second-generation Apple AR/MR product segmentation strategy and ecosystem.

That $3,000 asking price is expected to be caused by the use of new Apple silicon chips as well as a pair of 8K displays as well as a number of cameras including a LiDAR scanner to allow the heads to map its surroundings. Such scanners are already included on devices like the latest iPhone 13 Pro and iPad Pro.

It still isn't 100% clear what the new headset will be capable of, with many expecting Apple to announce its existence during last month's WWDC to allow developers to get apps ready. If a launch does take place in the first half of 2023, developers will need to wait months before the next WWDC rolls around in June.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.