Notably absent from the WWDC keynote this 12 months was any overt point out of augmented or digital actuality. There have been refined hints sprinkled all through the keynote—digital maps, dwell textual content, and Visible Look Up are new options asking to be built-in right into a combined actuality headset—however Apple selected to not use the massive occasion as a springboard for its upcoming platform.

We knew to not count on AR {hardware}, however some point out of the rumored “realityOS” wasn’t utterly out of the query. Apple will, sooner or later, have to drum up pleasure and help from builders, which might occur to some extent in the course of the ongoing WWDC periods. Nonetheless, the second we’re ready for: Apple revealing to the world its plans for augmented actuality, must wait.

How lengthy we’ll wait stays a transferring goal, however one of the dependable Apple analysts has already chimed in with an up to date timeline. Ming-Chi Kuo, within the wake of the WWDC keynote, predicted that Apple’s AR/MR (augmented and combined actuality) headset could be delayed till Q2 of subsequent 12 months, falling a number of months behind the unique Q1 projection. Kuo says the postponement could be as a consequence of lockdowns in China brought on by the continuing pandemic. He beforehand stated Apple wouldn’t need to announce a product to this point upfront and provides its opponents time to create copies.

Kuo broke down the important thing dates forward for Apple’s upcoming AR headset and software program platform. Right here is Kuo’s proposed schedule:

1. EVT (Engineering Validation and Testing) ranging from Q3 2022.

2. Apple occasion in January 2023.

3. Dev toolkit ship two to 4 weeks later (late February 2023).

4. Pre-orders start in Q2 2023.

5. In-store earlier than WWDC 2023.

If these predictions are correct, and all goes nicely on the manufacturing entrance, then Apple’s combined actuality headset might be stocked in shops by round this time subsequent 12 months. Remember the fact that whereas Kuo usually cites nameless sources, these newest predictions seem like pure hypothesis. Whereas they align with what different prime analysts are saying, you need to take these claims with a heavy dose of skepticism.

As for what to anticipate when the headset does arrive, the product is claimed to have an “modern three-display configuration” that mixes twin 4K OLED microdisplays with no less than six optical modules to offer steady “video see-through AR companies.” It’s stated to have M1 Professional-level energy and will come outfitted with 14 built-in cameras for superior monitoring. All of that know-how is anticipated to end in a steep asking worth that’s presently set at 3,000 actual bodily {dollars}.