Analysts expect Apple to launch its first mixed reality headset in 2023. The company has reportedly come up with a new name for the platform – “xrOS” instead of “realityOS” or “rOS” – which by Bloomberg Mark Gurman sees it as a sign that the launch is near.
“XR” stands for eXtended Reality, a term applied to headsets capable of both VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality). Virtual reality creates an entirely CGI environment, while augmented reality overlays data and images onto the real world. Headsets like the Meta Quest 2 do VR with a dash of AR, the new Quest Pro is better at AR, the likes of Microsoft’s HoloLens and Google’s Glass are AR focused.
Other big players include Valve and HTC, as well as Sony, which is already taking pre-orders for PSVR2. This will be the first new market segment for Apple since the introduction of the Apple Watch in 2015. It wasn’t the first smartwatch by far, but it has grown to be hugely successful: latest Q4 report, Wearables, The Home and Accessories division had more net sales than the iPad and was not far behind the Mac.
Trademark filing for “xrOS” by Deep Dive LLC, a purported shell company owned by Apple
Gurman reports that the headset will have its own app store and its own version of Apple’s core applications, things like Messages and Maps. And there will be tools for collaborating in VR and a VR version of FaceTime. It seems that Apple wants to tackle Zuckerberg’s Metaverse.
Apple already has experience in the AR field through its LiDAR-equipped iPhones and iPads, which can get a 3D scan of their environments and insert virtual objects into them. Early reports stated that the XR headset will also use LiDAR.
As for the name of the headset, a few months ago Apple filed for the Reality One and Reality Pro trademarks. It is not clear if the names will change together with the new operating system branding, there is also the possibility that Apple will return to “realityOS” for the software platform.
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