Apple AR Headset Could Cost Consumers Over $2,000 (appleinsider.com) 67
Apple's long-rumored mixed-reality headset could cost consumers over $2,000 when it eventually ships, with a report claiming the expensive development and components justifies the potential price. From a report: The lengthly development process of the Apple VR headset has resulted in a long wait for its release, with a possibility of a launch in late 2022 or delayed into 2023. While it is anticipated to be a premium device, with pricing rumors between $1,000 and $3,000, Apple may be planning to go closer to the middle of that range. Apple has internally discussed price points for the headset "above $2,000," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in his "Power On" newsletter. Though Apple usually does charge a premium for its hardware over its rivals, the company is apparently doing so because of "some of its internal technologies."
Reasonable Price. (Score:4, Insightful)
To be honest, that's a completely reasonable price for that kind of hardware.
People will probably compare it to the Oculus or similar, which is only cheap because Facebook data mines the fuck out of everything you do, and would be double or triple the price if Facebook wasn't involved.
Re:Reasonable Price. (Score:4, Interesting)
*flips back in his notes*
ah yes, the insanely expensive ipod was doomed to succeed because of its luxury price point
*continues flipping*
ah yes, the insanely priced iphone never succeeded either because no one would stand in line for their chance to spend 3x the price of a regular phone
well this case is closed, folks. let's move on to the next thread
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*flips back in his notes* ah yes, the insanely expensive ipod was doomed to succeed because of its luxury price point
The first iPod was massively overpriced in late 2001 at $399. It didn't start becoming truly popular until 2004, when the iPod Mini became available at $249. By 3Q 2004, per-quarter sales were comparable to the total sales from Q4 2001 through Q4 2003 combined.
*continues flipping* ah yes, the insanely priced iphone never succeeded either because no one would stand in line for their chance to spend 3x the price of a regular phone
The first-generation iPhone generated a lot of hype, but not that many sales (6.1 million). The iPhone 3G (half as expensive) sold 1 million units in the first weekend alone, and over 20 million units before it was discontinued.
In both cases, the h
About twice the price of an Atari 2600 in 1978 (Score:2)
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Re: About twice the price of an Atari 2600 in 1978 (Score:2)
Because it has the Apple logo you can bet it will be particularly well executed.
Re: About twice the price of an Atari 2600 in 1978 (Score:2)
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"That's all well and good, but it's almost certainly destined for failure if it doesn't break into a larger portion of the market, which it almost certainly won't at that price."
Yes, nobody would even pay 1500$ for a phone to write some messages, the very idea is ludicrous.
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Everyone that has a phone that expensive is getting it discounted/free based on their contract with the cell provider.
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"Everyone that has a phone that expensive is getting it discounted/free based on their contract with the cell provider."
It's kinsa cute that you really think it's discounted.
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Only difference is that I can have a lower base amount of data when I bring my own device which can make my bill cheaper.
(I know that in a lot of places, the monthly bill is higher when they get their phone on contract. But to average user, they don't know that so to them it's discounted/free.)
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"Doesn't matter if I bring my own device or get one on contract, here in Canada the price is the same for the service. Everyone subsidizes everyone elses phone."
I live in Luxembourg and I pay 15€/month for unlimited calls and messages to all operators with 5GB or 20€/month for 50GB.
I doubt that this amount subsidizes anybody else's 1500$ iPhone.
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Pfttt! Current pricing for VR/AR is doing a well enough job of suppression. Apple is just following the trend. You all want cheap you'll have to wait eight years till it's "old and busted, and the new hotness" is coming up.
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If there's one thing I learned from the "Is It Wrong To Mock People Who'd Opposed Covid Vaccines and Then Died of Covid?" thread,
Here's to the crazy ones.
Re:Reasonable Price. (Score:5, Insightful)
which is only cheap because Facebook data mines the fuck out of everything you do
No. It's cheap because a company like Facebook can easily absorb the development costs of a little side product. The hardware is not hyper expensive, and there's little reason for a headset to be worth $2-3k unless it's made of magic.
But why compare it to Oculus? Does Valve mine your data to hell and back? I mean sure it's slightly more expensive but then it's also significantly more capable. What about Sony? What about HP, and HTC?
None of these companies are producing headset in that price range. Stop excusing the Apple tax with whataboutism.
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Only for an Apple product
Re:Reasonable Price. (Score:4, Insightful)
To be honest, that's a completely reasonable price for that kind of hardware.
How can you tell? You have no idea of what kind of hardware it is. It is unlikely to be crap but shit happens.
wowsers (Score:2)
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What’s it like living in 1981?
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What’s it like living in 1981?
It was pretty nice, actually.
Though you might be talking more about like 2016 or so [usatoday.com].
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not a cream puff, but a good fishing car.
(stolen from a 35 year old TV commercial for mobile homes)
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Track record for predictions on Apple (Score:5, Informative)
If you look at how accurate items predicting new Apple products, features and delivery dates, you'll find they're generally -piss poor-. But anything on Apple brings in the clicks, and the authors/hosting sites just hope no one remembers their previous failures.
Caveat lector!
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You mean like the iPod? https://slashdot.org/story/01/... [slashdot.org]
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Supply chain rumors can be fairly accurate, even a year or two out in some cases, but those just tell you what they’re working on, not what it’ll be called, when it will be announced, or what it will cost. That’s why perennial sharers of accurate rumors like Gurman and Kuo can nail technical details on the MacBook Pro months or even a year out, but rarely have a clue what the price might be.
Which is to say, this rumor falls into the camp of “has no clue”. Apple’s pricing
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Supply chain checks on Apple's complex and deliberately opaque supply chain don't work very well. There are times when they feel like "a stopped clock." In particular, the various supply chain rumors on the last couple years of iPhone production have often been way off. But here's a hint: Apple routinely reduces orders around this time of year for the current model. In part that's to switch production for next year's model. Keep that in mind when you read about "Apple cutting orders."
(And I agree wi
That's nothing (Score:3)
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Forget the casters, remember this thing will have 2 lenses. TWO. That means you'll need to buy twice as many overpriced Apple branded polishing cloths.
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Sad thing is those polishing clothes were sold out for months....
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I have a theory: Not even Apple thought people would be stupid enough to buy them so they never made any. They were wrong.
$2000 as of when? (Score:1)
With the inflation at the current levels [washingtonexaminer.com], $2000 may not be all that much by the time the product is, actually, available at stores. Wait, did Washington Examiner said, 6.8%? How quaint — the Treasury [treasurydirect.gov] already says, it is (at least) 7.12%...
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The Washington Examiner? That bastion of truth in journalism??
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The US Treasury site makes no such references — it just quotes the inflation-protected bonds as offering 7.12% interest.
As for Washington Examiner, no evidence — of any past misreporting to cast doubts on the current one — either. Thought so — keep screeching...
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The prices of tech gadgets normally go down more than 7% a year. Unless they're Apple gadgets. Current chip supply issues will not last forever.
Hololens competitor? (Score:2)
It's hard to say since it's still sorta vaporware, but that price point might actually be fine, depending on the market they are targeting. If it's commercial/enterprise and not consumer, then they could be going after MSFT's HoloLens niche initially, and then over time work their way down to "prosumer" and then consumer markets.
Rumored product has rumored price! News at 11! (Score:4, Insightful)
So a product that nobody knows the specs of, has a retail price that nobody knows about. Colour me shocked.
Initial Version Pricing (Score:2)
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Putting aside question of whether Apple products are overpriced, I'm amused at slashdot people who think purchases of a thousand or few are only for "rich" folk. Are most of them bag boys? Tech geeks can make north of $100K a year easily.
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I keep wondering the same thing.
I am by NO means wealth...but I have plenty of disposable cash that I save and by toys with.
I generally drop a few $K on cameras and lenses of late, but I'm always looking for something fun.
Hell, I mean $1K is only like 10 really good bar
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Here in Chicago we have people at poverty level with $700-1000 phones... priorities in life not income seem to dictate if $1000+ thing is bought/financed
That's just the start (Score:2)
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Now tell us all about Xerox PARC.
More Bloomberg fabrication (Score:3)
Apple hasn't disclosed anything about the product, if it's in development, features, or pricing.
Yet, Bloomberg can keep churning on their own fumes, spinning air into clicks.
It might as well be holographic retinal implants, powered by body heat and alpha waves.
Consumers? my first thought was laughter. (Score:2)
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It's said that Sony is making the screens for this VR device, and it's also said that the next PS5 VR will be very high res as well -- implying that both devices use the same screen.
It'll be interesting to see what the specs are, and how much PS5 VR costs compared to Apple VR. If I can get either without audio, gaze-tracking, head-tracking, and controllers (preferably for less cost), I think I'd be in on that. When I can read text in a VR headset, it's now a privacy screen -- and a screen that (with head tr
Re: Consumers? my first thought was laughter. (Score:2)
The display must not have any gap between its pixels and 8K per eye. If not, it will suck.
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Even with "money to burn", both the use case, and software library is small for that money. It's like buying a Lamborghini and not being able to drive full speed and as reckless as one wants.
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Bloomberg (Score:2)
Bloomberg has a reputation for 'leaking' information that later turns out to be incorrect. They are more anxious to spread rumors than they are interested in verifying them.
mixed-reality headset? (Score:2)
Here's another report on it;
https://arstechnica.com/gadget... [arstechnica.com]
"this product is not the long-rumored, mass-market consumer AR glasses, which are still planned for several years down the line. Rather, this is a mixed reality headset (capable of both virtual and augmented reality) that is expected to cost at least $2,000."
It smacks of Google Glasses, but maybe they have figured things out better.
The NSFW content better be amazing (Score:2)
I'm picturing Blade Runner 2049 or something similar.
The price makes sense, but ... (Score:2)
I'm just not sure the technology itself really does?
I mean, though I've seen a few "edge case" scenarios where VR gear makes a lot of sense (such as a training simulator for surgeons to practice doing procedures)? The general public is really only using this stuff for some video games right now.
Ultimately, I think there's more of a future for augmented reality -- and even good AR relies on hardware that you can easily wear and forget you've even got it on. Big goggle type headsets are clearly NOT in that c