On Friday, Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted that his research pointed to a delay for Apple's first generation Mixed Reality Headset from Q2 to Q3 or even Q4 due to a 'drop test' issue. Today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has been told that Apple is likely to unveil their headset at WWDC23. This was likely the plan all along so as to give developers time to attend in-depth sessions to get them up to speed for future apps.

Apple has already shared the device with a small number of high-profile software developers for testing, letting them get started on third-party apps. The device’s operating system, dubbed “Borealis” inside the company, will be publicly named xrOS.

With the current plan, Apple could introduce the device to consumers — likely under the name Reality Pro — and then get developers up to speed on its software features in June. On this timeline, the company would then ship the product later in the fall of 2023. 

To make that happen, Apple roped in resources from several hardware and software engineering departments. That’s hampered other projects, some of which were already suffering from their own delays and budget cuts stemming from the economic slowdown. And it could mean Apple has fewer major breakthroughs to show off this year.

Apple plans AR experiences for its stores and other retailers. Apple is working on an updated version of the Apple Store app for the iPhone, adding augmented-reality capabilities that activate when a user enters one of its retail locations. The idea is that customers could point their iPhone toward a product — like an Apple Watch band or a Mac — and a graphic would overlay on the screen to provide get more information about pricing and specifications.

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