According to Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman, this is an important step ahead of the headset’s public release scheduled for June 2023. While it didn’t have the same “wow” effect as the first iPhone or Apple Watch, the overall impression was positive.

A new Apple product

This isn’t the first time the company’s top executives have seen the headset. The team behind the MR initiative at Apple has been showing the product to senior executives every year since 2018. This time, however, the number of visitors was greater and represented all parts of the company.

The MR headset, which combines augmented and virtual reality and is still in its infancy, makes its market entry more risky for Apple. The gadget is expected to encounter problems such as high price. 3,000 dollars, the absence of a major app to attract users, and the need for an external battery that needs to be replaced every two hours. Additionally, some testers found the device’s design uncomfortable and will initially be usable with a limited set of media content.

Despite the problem, the MR headset may follow the path of the Apple Watch, which started with mediocre apps and a slow processor but has since become a central element of Apple’s strategy. Gürman believes that the first version of the device will look “outdated” compared to the company’s current products.

Apple management also seems to have a realistic view of the situation and insists that the MR headset won’t be popular right away. The company expects to sell approximately one million units in the first year of sales and make almost zero profit in the first phase due to the high cost of components.

Apple is already preparing a version of the headset that will cost twice as much and will be the successor to the first model with advanced functions. The company believes that consumer interest in the device will increase with the release of new versions within two years of the first iteration being released.

The introduction of the MR headset to the public is eagerly awaited, and Apple’s entry into the mixed reality market could position the company as a market leader.