Apple’s long-awaited AR headset will be here next year

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The Apple prophet Ming-Chi Kuo is back with another research note that says Apple’s long-rumored Augmented Reality (AR) headset is coming in the second quarter of 2022. Apple’s been working on the AR glasses since 2018, possibly even further back as 2016 so it’s possible they’re nearly ready.

The key part of Kuo’s new research note concerns an Apple supplier called Genius Electronic Optical, who are creating parts for not just Apple, but also Facebook and Sony. I wonder if the Sony device will be for business use or will it be for the PlayStation console, which still doesn’t have a current-gen headset.

Earlier reports from Kuo had said that the Apple AR glasses might be here later this year, but that date has now been revised based on new analysis of the supply chain. With COVID-19 still having major effects on global tech, it could even be later in 2022 when we see the new AR headset.

Back in March, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also reported that Apple could be showing off the AR headset in an in-person event in the “next several months,” but with WWDC’s keynote already over, it seems that event has also been pushed further down the road.

The Q2 2022 timeframe does overlap with next year’s WWDC though, so perhaps that’s when the AR glasses will get stage time, as the presumably pricey device is supposed to be targeted at developers rather than the general public.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.