Apple MR release or getting closer, can consumer electronics take off again?

Recently, with the increasing popularity of ChatGPT, the fields of artificial intelligence and virtual reality have continued to receive widespread attention. At a time when virtual reality devices such as VR/AR are receiving high attention, Apple (AAPL. US), as a giant in the consumer electronics industry, its product launch trends in the field of virtual reality are considered by the market to be of industry-oriented significance. The industry expects Apple to reproduce the impact of the iPhone series on the smartphone industry and launch a phenomenal MR product.

In fact, the wind about the release of Apple's MR products has been around for a long time, although the exposure is constant, but there has never been a finished product, but over time, there are more and more reports about Apple's release of virtual reality devices. Although Apple has never officially confirmed the details and release time of MR products, after entering 2023, many media have continued to rise in the heat of Apple's MR products.

There are more and more revelations

According to reports, Apple may plan to release a new MR (mixed reality) headset in spring 2023 (possibly March), which may be named "Reality Pro" and will go on official sales later in the fall of 2023.

It is rumored that Apple's MR headset is Apple's most complex product ever, with an ultra-high-resolution 8K display and advanced eye tracking technology, equipped with up to 15 cameras to accurately identify and track eyeballs, etc., which is also highly expected by the industry.

Two recent patent applications at home and abroad have added more information to Apple's MR product launch.

On January 31, according to the information of the State Intellectual Property Office, the patent applied by Apple for "head-mounted electronic devices with self-mixing sensors" was officially announced. The device has a head-mounted housing and optical components supported by the head-mounted housing, and the optical components may include a camera, a removable optical module, and other components.

Coincidentally, the United States Trademark and Patent Office (USPTO) also published a patent on Apple. The patent shows that this is a patent for streaming immersive video content. Apple said in the patent that the technology provides immersive video content to the headset wearer in three dimensions. When video content is output, immersive video content can be dynamically presented based on the position and orientation of the user's body and the user's input requirements.

The latest news reported so far is that Apple's MR products have entered the launch stage. Apple is currently creating software development tools for it so that headset users can quickly create their own applications. However, as usual, the above news has still not been officially confirmed by Apple.

The significance of Apple's MR release

In recent years, as Meta has fully entered the meta-universe, major technology giants have continuously increased their investment in virtual reality equipment and meta-universe. Apple is also in the eyes, anxious, although it has not released related virtual reality products, but in fact, the project has long been established.

Sorting out the current online information found that since the acquisition of various AR\VR companies (including Metaio, Flyby Media, etc.) in 2010, Apple's layout of the MR headset has actually been more than ten years. The beginning of Apple's MR project can be traced back to the application of AR in 2017.

In 2017, Apple released the ARKit development tool to help developers experience AR technology on the iPhone. In 2021, Apple launched the Object Capture app, which automatically builds 3D models of objects by taking photos from an iPhone or iPad. In 2022, Apple launched the Room Plan app, which uses a new iPhone or iPad camera and lidar to scan and generate a virtual floor plan of the room. In the field of consumer electronics, which Apple is more familiar with, the attempt made by the MR project has already begun.

So why is Apple likely to choose to release virtual reality equipment products in 2023? Judging from the data, the market has gradually cultivated some application environments and consumers from the start-up stage. Currently, the AR/VR industry is booming. According to IDC data, global shipments of VR headset devices reached 11.1 million in 2021, and hardware parameters, content ecology, creation environment, and user awareness have been greatly improved. Global AR/VR headset shipments are expected to be 9.7 million units in 2022, down 12.8% year-on-year. Growth will resume in 2023, with shipments increasing by 31.5% year-on-year; AR and VR headsets are expected to continue to grow by more than 30% in the coming years, with shipments reaching 35.1 million units by 2026.

If Apple can release MR products in March this year as predicted, it may be able to improve the current sluggish consumer electronics market. Some commentators said that in the context of the general weakness of consumer electronics, Apple's traditional iPhone business is also difficult to stand alone. Today's "performance overload" mobile phone industry, the ceiling of update iteration has been visible to the naked eye. Against this background, the MR business, which has not yet taken shape, has been given more expectations. The related headset device will also replace the iPhone as a new pillar of Apple's future revenue.

Zheshang Securities shows an optimistic view on virtual reality devices: the agency said that the consumer electronics market has obvious characteristics of "supply creating demand", and by reviewing the development path of the mobile phone market, each increase in penetration rate is accompanied by subversive innovation in functions. This year's industrial chain and sales may not be satisfactory, but the secondary market performance of the VR/AR sector this year is worth looking forward to. At present, VR and other devices are still in the early stage of development, and there is broad space for innovation, and the future is expected to replicate the previous "golden age" of mobile phones.

Author: Xu Yuyao