Apple has invested heavily in the development of the headset, and it has a lot of patents, which is not bad. Data shows that Apple VR/AR R&D team has more than 1,200 people, has more than 330 patents, and completed nearly 20 foreign acquisitions.

Apple, on the other hand, has always wanted to do something different, to find the difference in its VR/AR headsets and play the ecological trump card again. Mike Rockwell, head of Apple’s VR/AR initiative, has previously said that Apple has already launched its own ecosystem of devices. To ensure that the software on the device runs properly, Apple also introduced a targeted operating system called xrOS.

Whether it’s building teams, developing systems, or buying outside companies, it takes real money. With all the money Apple has invested in its VR/AR headset, it’s hard not to look for a return. Judging from the current information circulating, Apple is also confident in the quality and technological attributes of this new product, and believes that the experience will be worth the price of the ticket.

But given Meta’s example, Apple should remain vigilant. What’s more, the market environment is not ideal.

According to IDC’s latest report, global shipments of VR and AR headsets totaled 9.7 million units in 2022, down 12.8 percent year on year. Although the report also predicted that the next few years VR, AR headset shipments will maintain a high-speed growth of about 30%, but a temporary hibernation is inevitable.

In other words, the belated Apple may have arrived at the worst possible moment in the market environment, at the wrong place at the right time. After all, Meta has taken up 84% of the global VR/AR market share, and it is still losing a lot of money. The downside of taking Apple’s research and development cycle too long is now clear.

Of course, Apple won’t be deterred by this momentary hiccup, nor will Cook’s ambitions for the VR/AR pie be dented by a momentary setback. But as the window of opportunity continues to shrink, Apple will need to hurry and deliver. Otherwise, the space for them will only get smaller and the competition will get more brutal.