Apple helmet will be sold at its own cost, the company’s management doubts its success

A few weeks before the presentation of Apple’s mixed reality helmet, Bloomberg published a large article describing the position within the company.

Tim Cook was originally against the helmet

Seven years of Apple compatibility two products: a helmet and glasses with augmented reality. Tim Cook initially prioritized glasses, but over the years the project has deviated greatly from the intended vision.

Apple has put together lightweight glasses that can be worn all day. As a result, they turned into a helmet that resembles a ski mask with a battery.

In the end Apple postponed glasses for several years. According to engineers, this is comparable to the “death” of the product. At best, it should be expected in four years, if there are no problems with development.

Between themselves, the engineers joke that they are developing glasses only to please Cook. By 2019, the company made little progress in developing a long-term plan to improve accuracy.

For the presence of a helmet, Apple came to serious compromises

The design of the product is also the tacit discovery that Apple, like other mixed reality headset makers, has failed to address underlying technology issues.

Features like the ability to work as an external Mac monitor and make video calls with more people are less advanced than the company originally intended.

Apple wanted to integrate sounds into the headset. To reduce weight and avoid overheating, Apple chose an atypical design compromise for itself: a battery, the size of an iPhone, a size that fits in a pocket and is connected via a cable.

Apple will sell helmets at their cost

The company is engaged in wearing a helmet at cost to avoid losses. The device will cost around $3,000, and that price doesn’t include Apple’s standard 37% margin.

The company also discussed the possibility of selling the helmet at a loss.to gain a foothold in the market.

Development costs are unlikely to pay off in the coming years. The project, in which engineers participated, is allocated more than $ 1 billion every year.

Apple executives are skeptical

Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software development, kept his distance and was wary of the helmet, according to people familiar with the project. Johnny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technology, compared the helmet to a case project.

Tim Cook stayed away from the project and was in no hurry to make decisions on important issues. One of the employees of the company said that Cook is the exact opposite of Steve Jobs when it comes to strong opinions about small things. [Bloomberg]