Although the long-awaited launch of Apple’s mixed reality headset is only a few months away, some employees don’t seem to believe the device is ready yet, according to a report of The New York Times. While some employees reportedly left the project due to their doubts, others remain skeptical of the headphones’ potential for success, especially at a price tag of $3,000.
Apple is widely expected to reveal the headphones at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. According Bloombergby Mark GurmanApple recently demoed the device in front of Apple’s top 100 executives at the Steve Jobs Theater in California, “suggesting a public unveiling is coming up.”
But behind the “dazzling” presentation, the Times suggests that there has been some internal turmoil about the future of mixed reality headsets. While that seems pretty normal any time a company ventures into an entirely new product category (which is something Apple has done several times in the past), the Times says that things are different this time.
“Internal skeptics have questioned whether the new device is a solution in search of a problem”
“Some internal skeptics have questioned whether the new device is a solution in search of a problem,” said the Times writes “Unlike the iPod, which put digital songs in people’s pockets, and the iPhone, which combined the capabilities of a music player and a phone, headphones have not been driven by the same clarity.”
According to the TimesDoubts from both Apple employees and management have some workers wondering if the company will postpone the launch of the headphones. However, it does not appear that this is going to happen, as the sources say to the Times that a June release is still in the works as “headphone manufacturing is underway” for the planned reveal in just a few months.
