Some Apple employees are concerned about the feasibility and cost of the company’s mixed reality headset, according to The New York Times.
According to eight current and former Apple employees, talking with The New York Times, the company’s initial enthusiasm for the device turned to skepticism. The change in tone reportedly marks an unprecedented level of excitement about Apple’s new product within the company, in stark contrast to previous product launches that have passed with unanimous enthusiasm.
The first-generation headset is ostensibly seen as a bridge to future products that require technological breakthroughs, but many employees are concerned about the device’s $3,000 price tag, its usefulness, and its unexplored customer market.
Some Apple employees left the project due to doubts about its potential, others were fired due to lack of progress in some device features, including Siri. According to rumors, discontent extends to members of Apple’s management, some of whom doubt the device’s prospects.
Apparently, the headset was introduced to many of Apple’s 100 top executives through a video filmed five years ago at a corporate meeting by design chief Jony Ive. In the video, a man in a London taxi in an augmented reality headset called his wife in San Francisco and talked about the sights of London.
Apple has focused on making the device great for video conferencing and being used as virtual avatars. In addition, the headset will feature high-definition television content from Hollywood directors. Despite similarities to other headsets, Apple is expected to present the device as something different from existing offerings.
The device will also offer tools for artists, designers and engineers, allowing you to draw and edit images in 3D. In addition, applications for editing virtual reality videos using hand gestures will appear. As a result, the device is expected to appeal more to businesses and design companies than to general users. Some employees have allegedly suggested that Apple might delay the headset again, despite production already underway for a June launch.
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