Apple Set To Launch Mixed Reality Headsets in Spring 2023 — Retail Bum

Apple plans to launch its mixed reality headset, Reality Pro, in spring 2023 and will offer deliveries by the fall season.

The headset will run on a new operating system called xrOS, which Apple has already made accessible to select software developers for testing and to give them a jump start on building third-party apps.

While the company’s existing iOS software already supports a variety of mixed, virtual, and augmented reality use cases on Apple devices, the launch of its headset would make for the first hardware product that is solely dedicated to offering a mixed-reality experience. It would also put Apple in direct competition with Meta, which is pouring billions of dollars into developing the Metaverse and making it accessible through its Quest headsets that retail at a starting price of $400.

That said, Apple’s Reality Pro product line will vastly differ from what Meta offers. Apple’s headsets will offer a mixed augmented reality experience, focusing on enhancing the user’s environment. On the other hand, Meta’s headsets engage users in a computer-generated view, CNBC reported.

Given the time and effort spent preparing the headsets for a spring launch, other Apple products such as MacBook, iPad, and Apple Watch are expected to get minor updates this year.

Originally published at https://retailbum.com on January 10, 2023.