Apple is expected to release its first augmented reality (AR) headset in the next few months, but some Apple employees are already expressing doubts about the chances of success. The New York Times .
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Citing the opinions of current and former Apple employees, The New York Times reported that some of the company’s employees “Enthusiasm gave way to skepticism” on the market prospects for an AR headset that is expected to be unveiled at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.
Of particular concern is the device’s exorbitant price tag, which is hovering near the $3,000 mark, and doubts about the practical benefits for the company of entering an untested market. Unlike the iPod, which is bringing digital music to people’s pockets, and the iPhone, which combines the capabilities of a music player, phone and PDA, the source says the upcoming AR headset doesn’t have such a clear positioning. That said, it’s not clear why it is like this for most users.
Some employees have stepped away from Apple’s headset project over doubts about its success, sources said, while others appear to have been fired because significant progress has been made on some features related to the device.
Earlier, Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman spoke about a recent private presentation of an AR/VR headset that Apple gave to its employees at the Steve Jobs Theater. Like the New York Times, Gurman noted that releasing a high-tech headset posed a greater risk for Apple than launching its existing devices. “With the Mac, iPod, iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad, the company essentially built a better version of a product that people were familiar with.” Gurman writes. — With a headset, Apple will have to explain to consumers why they should have such a product in the first place.”
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