The Great Mixed-Reality Headset Race is On

Apple showed a mixed-reality headset capable of both augmented and virtual reality to its board of directors last week, according to a Bloomberg report ($), indicating that its development is at an advanced stage.

🍏🕶 More deets… While Apple has never publicly confirmed it’s working on a headset, the company has hired ~2,000 people to work in a division that focuses on VR and AR technology.

• If/when the device is released (previous intel pointed to a 2022 or 2023 debut), it’ll be the company’s first major new product category since the Apple Watch’s launch in 2015.
• The company also plans to offer augmented reality versions of its iPhone apps alongside the headset, which some reports say will debut with a sticker price north of $2,000. 
• The Information reported ($) that the headset will have AirPods Max-esque fabric mesh and a headband that almost looks like a fancy Apple Watch loop.

🤓 Zoom out: Meta and Google both previewed mixed reality headsets last week, “Project Cambria” (demoed by Zuck himself) and a smart glasses prototype that translates foreign languages in real time, respectively.

📝 The bottom line: With companies like Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Sony and Google all getting into the race, it's about to be on like Donkey Kong (or 2 a.m. Mario Kart following a night out).