A report from market intelligence provider TrendForce has suggested that the long-rumored Apple augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headset could come with a monthly subscription service.
TrendForce research indicates that Apple’s headset will probably be consumer-oriented and priced similarly to Microsoft’s HoloLens, which can be purchased from $3,500. It is also anticipated that Apple may choose to offer a monthly subscription for a software service accompanying the headset.
There seems to be a good chance of the mooted Apple headset being integrated with some of the Cupertino company’s other services available in the Apple One bundles, such as Apple Music.
Right now, we don’t know exactly what could be offered by a headset-specific software service, given that the three features that are rumored to be most fundamental to the device – gaming, media consumption and communication – are already catered for by the likes of Apple Arcade, Apple TV+ and Apple Music, and FaceTime.
Despite the prospect of an Apple AR and VR headset having been the subject of much enthusiasm, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has suggested that the device’s launch will probably have to wait until 2023.
