Apple is about to enter a new product category after a long time. The company's mixed reality headset is on the horizon, and Apple VR will soon be a reality. We've heard reports about the headset launching sometime in 2023, and it appears Apple has now demoed it for its top executives.
This bit of news comes from Mark Gurman, who discussed it in his latest Power On newsletter. Apple apparently had its "Top 100" executives, the most important people in the corporation, at the Steve Jobs Theatre for a demo. Gurman says this was a bit more extensive than prior demonstrations of the upcoming product.
"Polished, glitzy, and exciting" demo, but some Apple employees remain skeptical
Gurman said that Apple's Top 100 gathered at the Steve Jobs theatre ahead of the annual offsite. Being some of the most important figureheads of the company, these executives had seen the product before, but this was a more extensive demo, wrote Gurman.
"But this time was different. Earlier demonstrations were lower-key affairs, meant to show progress and secure the headcount needed to keep going. The latest preview took place in the Steve Jobs Theater, Apple’s biggest showcase, suggesting that a public unveiling is getting close." Gurman also said that the demo was " polished, glitzy and exciting", but many executives are aware of the challenges of the new category Apple is about to enter.
This has been reflected in another recent report from the New York Times. It said, "...as the company prepares to introduce the headset in June, enthusiasm at Apple has given way to skepticism, said eight current and former employees, who requested anonymity because of Apple’s policies against speaking about future products. There are concerns about the device’s roughly $3,000 price, doubts about its utility and worries about its unproven market."
Apple doesn't miss all that often, so it may be safe to assume it will eventually figure it out instead of VR being a complete bust for the company. Apple VR is expected to be introduced at WWDC 2023, which means we're only a few months away from debut.
