That makes Apple's entry into this market tricky. Experts say that it's sort of a now-or-never moment: Apple has an uphill climb ahead of it, as it tries to make this headset the next big thing in its product lineup. But if Apple can pull it off, it could be the shot in the arm that brings the whole so-called"extended reality" market roaring back to life.
Apple has a knack for showing its competitors what's possible with any new technology, proving out what consumers like . In the same way that the success of the iPhone paved the way for Google to build Android, this headset could be the start of something bigger. "Typically, whenever Apple enters a market, it's been the tide that lifts all boats," said Jitesh Urbani, a research manager at International Data Corporation.
"It brings a whole lot of recognition and reassurance to the market to let both investors and consumers know that this is the next big thing," he added.For example, smart watches were out for years before the Apple Watch turned up. The fitness tracking watch Fitbit came out in 2009. By 2013, Samsung followed suit. It took the Apple Watch to bring the concept into the mainstream. As with most things, nobody cares for it until the cool kid says it's cool.
The Apple Watch launched in 2015 and suddenly demand for smartwatches boomed. Worldwide smartwatch sales went from 5 million in 2014 to 19 million in 2015 to double that amount in 2016, according to StatistaThe market for headsets is arguably in a similar situation as the pre-Apple smart watch industry. Companies like Microsoft and Google have invested billions, but still haven't been able to crack the code.
The smart goggle industry really needs a shot in the arm