Apple's headset launch is delayed by 1-2 months, causing uncertainty about WWDC

There is a possibility that Apple's highly anticipated mixed-reality headset won't be ready in time for the company to hold its WWDC event in June, according to TFI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo who wrote on Twitter on Thursday.

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The company's chief financial officer Kuo tweeted that the company wasn't optimistic that the long-awaited project would receive the "astonishing 'iPhone moment'" reception that Apple was hoping for, which led to a slowed production schedule for a "mid-to-late" third quarter of 2023. He said Apple had pushed back mass assembly by another 1-2 months to mid-to-late Q3 in order to catch up with demand.

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Nevertheless, it should be noted that Apple has previously teased some of its new products months before their official release. In September 2014, Apple announced new Watches, but they weren't available for sale until April of the following year.

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According to Kuo, the main concerns for Apple are the broader downturn in the economy, the "compromises" Apple made in order to be able to run mass production, the uncertainty of the ecosystem and developer reception, and the relatively high price point. It is expected that Apple will price the headset between $3,000 and $4,000, or even more, according to Kuo.

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Apple is expected to sell a maximum of 300,000 headsets by the end of 2023, Kuo wrote. It was reported on Sunday that Apple executives expect to sell "about a million units" of the headset in the first full year of its release, which Bloomberg reported would be dubbed "Reality Pro" or "Reality One".

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There is a good chance that Apple's headset business will become a business in the same way that Apple Watch has, evolving from a "small portion" of its business to a "centerpiece" of the company's business, according to Gurman.

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Generally regarded as one of the most accurate Apple analysts, Kuo has been one of the most accurate in predicting Apple's expected approach to the launch of its long-awaited headsets.

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In response to a request for comment, Apple did not immediately respond.