Apple’s AR/VR headset could be real soon

Already “in the next few months” Apple is ready for the next hardware revolution. You may first see traces of software.

Apple’s “next big thing” is said to be an AR/VR headset that aims to compete with the likes of Meta and Google. The latest report from Bloomberg editor Mark Gurman suggests that Apple has made significant progress on the project and the glasses could be revealed to the public “within the next few months”.

According to Bloomberg, Apple engineers have presented a preview of the headset to the company’s board of directors – a key move that suggests the hardware is nearing completion. Also, development of realityOS, the operating system rumored to be used by the headset, has been “ramped up”. While it’s unlikely to be unveiled at WWDC in June, it’s possible we’ll see traces of the project in new software there.

The fog goes away

There have been rumors in the rumor mill about Apple’s mixed reality headset for a long time. Recent reports spoke of components including two 8K displays, an M1 processor and more than a dozen cameras. In February, Digitimes reported that Apple had completed key production tests, and evidence of realityOS was discovered in app store logs in early February.

While Apple is happy to set its own schedules, announcements at Google’s developer conference I/O increased the pressure to reveal an AR/VR headset anytime soon. Google previewed work on its AR glasses that enable real-time language translation at I/O Keynote. Apple’s headset is expected to be far more ambitious, with a focus on gaming, messaging and media.