Development on Apple’s rumored AR/VR headset has reached a new internal milestone, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reporting that the hardware has been shown to the company’s board last week.
According to the report, Apple has also made good progress on “rOS”, the company’s new reality operating system that will power the headset. “That progress, coupled with the board presentation, suggests that the product’s debut could potentially come within the next several months,” Gurman wrote.
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The Bloomberg reporter believes that the first version of Apple’s new headset, which has been in development since 2015, could support both virtual reality and augmented reality. It should feature chips that are “on par with those in Apple’s latest Macs,” as well as “ultra-high resolution screens.”
“The company has been working on AR versions of its core iPhone apps for the headset, as well as new apps that will handle tasks such as streaming immersive content and holding virtual meetings,” said Gurman. In addition to this first VR/AR headset, Apple is also said to be working on standalone augmented reality glasses that could be released later this decade.
Apple is expected to announce its new headset in the coming months, and it should be the company’s first big product launch since the release of the Apple Watch back in 2015. If Facebook managed to get a headstart in the VR market with its purchase of Oculus, VR is still a very nascent business. Apple’s upcoming headset may stand out if the company nails the software and provides seamless integrations with the rest of the Apple ecosystem.