Despite taking different forms and being used for different purposes, all of Apple's devices seem to be products of the same company. Apparently, consistency may not be the case with Apple's long-rumored VR/AR headset.

A lengthy report from Bloomberg discusses the monumental moment that may come at WWDC 2023, where Apple is expected to unveil the Reality Pro headset and xrOS interface in front of developers. According to the report, the headset is not only a far cry from the original vision, but is also "un-Apple-like" in many ways.

Indeed, consultant and former Apple executive Michael Gartenberg has said that Apple's headset may be "one of the greatest technological flops of all time."

Perhaps most uncharacteristic is the price of Apple's VR/AR headsets. It is not uncommon for Apple devices to be priced at a premium, but with multiple reports of $3,000, this headset would make the best VR headsets look cheap. Moreover, the company reportedly plans to sell the Reality Pro at a "break-even cost." For comparison, Apple typically puts a 37% margin on its products.

Similarly, Apple has lowered its headset sales from 3 million to 900,000 units. Since the company sells, on average, more than 200 million iPhones a year, headsets are not expected to be as ubiquitous as other Apple products. At least, not at first. Internal projections suggest that if the company adds new features and lowers the price in the next generation version, the headset will reach Apple Watch levels of penetration.

Apple hopes the external display will draw people into its product by "bringing the wearer into the real world." The headset will reportedly feature a world-facing display that shows eye movements and facial expressions; one of Bloomberg's sources said the display will allow others to "interact with the headset wearer without feeling like they are talking to a robot." He stated, "I can't say for sure until I see it in person. It's hard to say without seeing it in person, but from the description it sounds a little creepy.

Another reason for the external display is so it can be worn throughout the day. According to reports, the headset could replace tasks done on an iPhone or Mac.

The other reason for the external display is to allow users to wear it all day long. Apparently, the company is also hoping that third-party apps will help popularize the headset.

The final "un-Apple-like" element of the currently rumored headset is the external battery. It is hard to name a modern Apple product that is not intuitive, so the prospect of the wearer having to awkwardly carry an external battery connected to the headset sounds very unbrand-like. Even if the headset were bundled with a chic battery carrying pack, the setup still seems less than elegant.

According to this Bloomberg report, the VR headset we will see at WWDC is a significant departure from the company's original vision and will take longer to penetrate the market than other Apple devices. Apple's foray into mixed reality will undoubtedly make the entire category more mainstream, but it seems that some sacrifices have been made in the process.

That said, there are ways in which Apple's headset could prove skeptics wrong. Reports that it "far exceeds" the capabilities of competing headsets, as well as the controller-less experience, stunning AR pass-through, and the power of Apple's silicon will all help generate excitement about the Reality Pro.