(Pocket-lint) – Apple’s oft-rumoured AR/VR headset could debut as soon as March, according to a new report. It’s thought Apple will announce it ahead of WWDC 2023.
The mixed reality headset, expected to be called Reality Pro, is now penciled in for an unveiling this spring according to a new report by Bloomberg’s well-connected Apple reporter, Mark Gurman. According to him, Apple will announce the new headset ahead of this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, normally held in June.
It’s thought that Apple will announce the product early and then give developers chance to work on their apps ahead of a release to the public – currently expected to happen later this year.
“Apple has already shared the device with a small number of high-profile software developers for testing,” Gurman says, adding that the hardware runs a new operating system dubbed Borealis internally. To the public, Borealis will carry the xrOS name.
Gurman does note that Apple has so far struggled to get the headset to market, suggesting there is still the chance that further delays will hit a product that is expected to cost upwards of $3,000. “Apple had aimed to get it to market by 2019,” he says. “Over time, the delays stacked up. Apple had plans to launch the device in 2020, then 2021, and then 2022.”
The headset is expected to make use of multiple cameras and two 4K displays. It’s also expected to offer iris recognition for authentication purposes, while the xrOS software will reportedly be capable of running windowed iPhone apps, although they’ll appear in 2D rather than the 3D experience that the headset will likely be known for.
Writing by Oliver Haslam.
