It’s been a pretty big week for Apple’s AR headset. On Tuesday, The Information spilled a load of secrets about the tech inside the device and now we might have gotten a clue as to when Apple plans to show it to the world.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, “it is increasingly unlikely that Apple will hold a media event for the new device in January,” as had been previously rumored. Apple has a tradition of announcing major new products in January but hasn’t held a January keynote since the original iPad arrived on January 27, 2010.
Now, Kuo believes the devices will either arrive at Apple’s spring event or as part of WWDC in June. He doesn’t appear to have any solid evidence to back his claims, but is inferring based on “based on the current development progress.”
Apple’s spring event is already a crowded one. Apple hasn’t announced a new Mac or chip since WWDC 2022, so it’s likely this one will focus on the Mac following the Mac Studio in 2022 and the 24-inch iMac in 2021. Expected at the spring event are new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, the introduction of the M2 Pro and M2 Max chip, a new M2 Mac mini, and probably a special-edition iPhone color.
So a WWDC launch would make the most sense. Since the headset is an entirely new product, Apple is going to need strong developer support. Also, a key component is a new operating system dubbed xrOS (extended reality OS) and WWDC is a perfect showcase for that. Apple will likely announce the device several months before shipping it, so the headset might also hold a prominent spot at Apple’s fall iPhone event, where new details are unveiled.
We are expecting the new Apple silicon-based Mac Pro to make its debut at WWDC as well, so make sure you’re not busy on the morning of June 5 because it’s likely to be a big day.
