Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, March 12 (Xinhua)-- Apple will launch its hybrid reality headset this year, a device that supports augmented reality and virtual reality, which may be unveiled at the WWDC developer conference in June, according to reports. But in a report this weekend, the Financial Times pointed out that the decision was divisive within the company.

The operation team led by Jeff Williams hopes to launch a technologically advanced headset as soon as possible, even if it will be bulky and expensive, the report said. Some members of the design team disagree, hoping to wait until a lightweight AR glasses product is possible, while Apple CEO Cook supports the operations team's view.

While lightweight AR glasses sound attractive, they are impractical at the current level of technology and may take years to achieve. Apple is also reported to be working on a glasses project as a long-term goal, but it will take several generations of headsets before it comes out.

The choice of release time is crucial. Cook and Williams reportedly recognized the current state of the market and thought it made sense to enter the field now, even though the first generation of headsets would be expensive and less attractive to consumers. Their idea is to iterate and improve over time.

Sources say Apple's first-generation headsets are expensive due to cutting-edge technology (about $3000, CTOnews.com Note: currently about 20850 yuan), are relatively bulky, and have short battery life. The company expects to sell about 1 million units in the first year.

The Financial Times describes the situation as a disagreement between the operations team and the design team: Apple's operations team wants to launch a "version one" product, a ski mirror-like headset that allows users to watch immersive 3D videos, do interactive exercises or chat with realistic avatars through an improved version of FaceTime. But Apple's famous industrial design team advises to wait until a lighter version of AR glasses is technically feasible. Most people in the technology industry expect this to take a few more years to achieve.

Steve Jobs and the design team pushed almost all decisions under the structure of Apple a decade ago. The operation department serves the wishes of the design team. Under Cook's leadership, that has changed, and the operations department has gained more power and visibility among senior executives. Important design team leaders have also left Apple in the past five years, especially Jony Ive, who left in 2019, and his successor, Evans Hankey, who announced that she would leave the company this year. Apple even decided not to appoint a replacement for Hankie. Instead, the design team will report to Jeff Williams, chief operating officer.

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