Apple Nears Launch of AR Headset Next Year... Recruiting Talent from Meta

The Verge Reports Citing Bloomberg's Mark Gurman

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Apple, which is expected to unveil an augmented reality (AR) headset in 2022, has recently recruited a senior executive from Meta (formerly Facebook), fueling speculation that the new product launch is imminent.

IT news outlet The Verge reported on the 26th (local time), citing Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, that "Apple has hired Andrea Schubert, Meta's head of communications and public relations, to promote its AR product." Schubert is known to have worked at Meta for seven years.

Mark Gurman stated in his 'Power On' newsletter, "Next year will be the first time in seven years that Apple introduces a new type of product," adding, "Meta, which owns the 'Oculus' series, is the clear leader in the related headset market, and Apple's recruitment of talent from Meta indicates that the product launch is imminent." TF International Securities analyst Guo Mingchi also predicted in an investor report last month that Apple would release an AR headset by the end of next year.

The price of Apple's new AR headset, seen as a rival to Oculus, is expected to be set high. Bloomberg has predicted that the headset device could approach $3,000 (approximately 3.5 million KRW). The device is expected to be equipped with 3D sensors to track hand movements and an 8K high-resolution display.

There are mixed forecasts regarding the processor. The market widely suggests that for processor-intensive tasks, the AR headset will likely be used in conjunction with Apple devices such as the iPhone and Mac. However, analyst Guo Mingchi overturned this view last month by predicting that Apple will equip the headset with its self-developed M1 chip, making standalone use possible.

Globally, the popularity of AR headsets continues to rise. According to The Verge, during this year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Meta's AR headset, the 'Oculus Quest 2,' was among the best-selling products. Meta's Oculus app ranked first in the U.S. App Store during the Christmas period and also secured the number one spot in the free apps category on the Google Play Store on the 26th (local time). In South Korea, the Oculus series, exclusively distributed through SK Telecom, is also gaining strong momentum. The 'Oculus Quest 2,' first released domestically in February, sold out its initial stock within three days, and the 'Oculus Quest 2 128GB' model, launched with increased capacity in September this year, also showed strong sales performance.