US media: Apple's VR helmet release will help competitors accelerate research and development

US media: The release of Apple’s VR helmet will help competitors accelerate research and development

According to multiple foreign media reports, Apple will announce the launch of its first virtual reality (VR) helmet at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2023) to be held on June 6, Beijing time, which has put its competitors in a dilemma crazy. Before that, Meta released the Meta Quest 3 on Thursday, and Lenovo unveiled its latest ThinkReality VRX headset. Suddenly, a market that struggled to reach a broad audience gained more attention.

Apple’s foray into virtual reality comes as both hardware sales and general interest in the VR dream are waning. Companies such as Meta have previously invested heavily in this idea. Apple has always distanced itself from the so-called Metaverse, but interest in the company's VR and augmented reality (AR) plans has remained strong. Now Apple no longer overshadows its competitors, but supports their creativity and promotes more applications of this technology.

George Jijiashvili, principal analyst at technology research and consulting firm Omdia, said: "This will prove that VR/AR is really going to be the next chapter of technology and how we interact with technology. and a major way of consumption. If Apple can make this type of device more attractive and equipped with truly useful applications and functions, then it will become a popular choice for consumers."

But so far, the VR/AR industry is struggling. According to data released by market intelligence company IDC, the VR and AR headset market has experienced a 54% decline in 2023 since the beginning of 2022. According to reports, more than half of people who purchased Meta helmets stopped using the devices within six months of purchase.

The debut of Apple’s headset could help its rivals recover from their slump. Jitesh Urbani, a research manager at IDC, said the company's announcement "generated a lot of attention from the market." This helps wake the user up, which is something Apple does very well.

Apple has earned a reputation for bringing non-new hardware to the market that eventually becomes market dominant. The iPod became the most popular MP3 player, and the iPhone replaced the BlackBerry. In niche markets, launching VR and AR headsets is a bigger gamble.

According to Apple, an important announcement is about to be released, ushering in a "new era" on Monday and possibly ushering in opportunities in a "new world of coding." Apple Watch, the hardware product released by Apple last time, has made smartwatches mainstream and currently dominates the market.

One of the challenges in attracting attention to VR is attracting users from non-gaming fields, and the high price makes many people reluctant to purchase this unnecessary equipment. But as Apple's name emerges in the space, more app developers may start pouring resources into helping expand the helmet's uses, said George Gigashvili, principal analyst at Omdia. However, Apple must be able to design a helmet that doesn't cause too much distress or discomfort to the user.

Unless the price of Apple’s headset drops significantly and it shows its killer application in the metaverse, ordinary users may not be too interested. There is now a renewed focus on VR and exploring its uses beyond gaming.

Harmet Singh Walia, senior analyst at technology research firm Counterpoint Research, said the Meta helmet’s lower price should allow it to maintain market dominance for the time being. While the Apple headset will be impressive, it's still far out of reach and unlikely to make a splash anytime soon. "I hope the Apple headset has some unique features, but it won't continue to lead the trend like the iPhone," Walia said. ”

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