The mass production of Apple’s mixed reality headset is supposed to start in March 2023

Apple is moving forward with development of a mixed reality headset with Pegatron set to be the exclusive partner for the final assembly, to me DigiTimes. Based on the current status of the headset in the process of manufacturing validation, the report anticipates that mass production is likely to begin in March 2023 with a possible unveiling in the following month.

Initial production is said to have been very limited, with a high price point limiting Apple’s first headphone primarily to commercial markets.

Industry sources have stated that this XR headphone is primarily aimed at commercial markets. The price is higher and the shipment quantity is limited. Previous estimates indicate that the annual shipment of this device will reach 2.5 million units. However, at the moment, rough estimates put the annual shipment at about 0.7 to 0.8 million units. For supply chain manufacturers who benefit from quantity, this is not particularly profitable.

Despite the low profitability on initial headset production, Apple’s manufacturing partners are said to be willing to work with Apple on the project to demonstrate their technical capabilities so that they are well positioned for future AR/VR products. Recognizing the Apple brand also makes it easier for companies to raise money in the capital markets to fund their activities.

Apple has been working on augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality headsets for a number of years, but is said to have run into some development difficulties that have slowed its progress. While previous rumors suggested that Apple might introduce the headset sometime during 2022, Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in June That Apple will likely target an introduction in January 2023.

Today’s report from DigiTimes It may not necessarily differ significantly from Kuo, as Kuo has suggested that pre-orders won’t begin until the second quarter of 2023 with shipments by WWDC starting in June.

Thus, both Kuo and DigiTimes He appears to cite similar timeframes for mass production, with differences in projected submission timing (January for Kuo and April for DigiTimes) goes back to Apple’s preference as to how much lead time to give developers before the headset starts shipping.