Apple is putting a lot of effort into releasing its first mixed reality headset. A lot of effort and resources are spent on it, but the company faces a lot of problems and challenges during development. Due to this, the presentation of such a gadget was postponed several times. “And here we go again.”

This year, we were supposed to see the device in the spring — in March or April. But even this plan of the company had to be changed. The new “deadline” was the WWDC developer conference, which is traditionally held at the beginning of summer. And according to Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman, this event is ideal for such a device.

At the conference, Apple plans to tell all about the AR/VR headset, and not just announce it. Along with this, the company will talk about the new versions of the iOS, watchOS and macOS operating systems. 

Such events of the company are primarily of interest to developers and enthusiasts, and not to ordinary iPhone or Mac users. And the mixed reality headset, which even in the first revision will cost under $3,000, most likely counts on technology fans. In addition, the developers will immediately spend the next week with further planning of work on the content.

“Beyond perfecting the advanced technologies in the product, Apple is up against another issue with its headset: selling into a market that has been disappointed and confused by efforts from competitors,” writes Mark Gurman.

For example, the company Meta’s meta universes, which were supposed to be the next “big thing”, face criticism in addition to the loss of the acquired audience. Meanwhile, Apple stays as far away from terms like “metauniverse” as possible, and has no plans to use one at all.

“That means Apple will need a safer venue to debut its device, and you’re not going to find a more pro-Apple crowd than the one that shows up at WWDC,” says Gurman.

But there are really enough challenges here. It will be difficult to sell an expensive device for FaceTime meetings, in-depth video viewing or a virtual workplace, and it is unlikely that such capabilities will make the headset the “new iPhone”.

Therefore, the popularization will have to rely on the developers, whose applications and games will bring the headset to the status of “necessary” for a wide range of customers. This is exactly what the App Store for the iPhone did at one time. Again, WWDC is the most appropriate event to encourage developers to participate in the development of Apple Reality.