The next Apple (Far Out) event will take place on Wednesday, September 7, and Apple fans are sure to have a feast.
Along with the announcements of the iPhone 14 that we are expecting, we will likely also see the new Apple Watch 8, Apple Watch SE 2, and maybe even AirPods Pro 2 will grace the Apple scene in Cupertino.
But one of the Apple products that will definitely not be released is the Apple VR headset; so make no mistake – it probably won’t come out at all in 2022.
The Apple VR headset – which the trademarks reveal will likely be called Reality Pro or Reality One – has not been officially recognized by Apple, but that hasn’t stopped the steady stream of rumors pouring out of California over the past few years. Leaks not only revealed its existence, but also gave clues about its functions and the various development challenges it faced.
These challenges resulted in the Apple VR Headset experiencing several delays, and its current launch is likely scheduled for early 2023. Over the past few months, several sources have confirmed the release year as 2023, making an announcement at the event in September 2022. Very unlikely.
But beyond the alleged release date, there’s one more reason why we’re not expecting the Apple VR Headset to arrive: the iPhone 14.
Analysis: Apple can’t upgrade iPhone 14
For other Apple events in 2022 (such as WWDC 2022), we thought the 2023 rumor might be wrong. Not only because fewer sources confirmed this, but because the events themselves seemed to be able to take advantage of the shock and admiration that the announcement of the Apple VR headset will bring. This is not the case with the iPhone announcement.
Whether it’s for love or hate, the new iPhone often gets a lot of attention. As expected, Apple representatives will be ready to celebrate their updates while its critics will be happy to share unfavorable comparisons to the iPhone 13, iPhone 12, and Samsung Galaxy S22 – emphasizing that the “improvements” are irrelevant or are on Android for years.
Either way, the iPhone 14 will be filling your news feeds for the next week.
If Apple were to show off its VR headset as well, then only one or both of the gadgets would be detrimental. Either the uniqueness of the headset will prevent the iPhone 14 from impressing the news cycle as expected, or the popularity of the iPhone 14 will make the headset lose precious time in the spotlight – the time it needs if Apple is to present the device as a worthy rival to the popular already Oculus Quest 2 Meta and the upcoming Project Cambria.
With these factors in mind, the Apple VR Headset is unlikely to be present at this and other Apple events in 2022. The same goes for supposedly smart AR glasses – the so-called Apple glasses – as they are rumored to be coming even later (read 2024).
Want to learn about gadgets likely to appear at the next Apple event? Here’s why the expected high-end iPhone 14 Pro Max can save you money (opens in a new tab) at last.