Apple is reportedly making good progress on its new mixed-reality headset, which is expected to be officially revealed next year. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the name of the operating system powering Apple’s new headset has been recently changed from “realityOS” to “xrOS” internally.

“The new software name is a nod to the headset’s mixed-reality capabilities. “XR” stands for extended reality, a term that encompasses both augmented and virtual reality,” Gurman wrote.

The report reveals that Deep Dive LLC, a mysterious shell company that could belong to Apple has filed a trademark for the “xrOS” brand in several markets. The same company is currently trying to trademark the name in the US as well. However, that still doesn’t guarantee that Apple will use “xrOS” as the public product name for its new operating system.

Earlier this year, Apple reportedly used a shell company to file trademarks for the “Reality One,” “Reality Pro,” and “Reality Processor” names. According to Gurman, the first two names could possibly be the real names for Apple’s headset, which may be available in different configurations.

The headset itself is expected to feature an M2-based CPU, high-resolution screens, hand tracking capabilities, as well as a new iris scanning technology for authenticating users. In addition to offering optimized versions of Apple’s iOS apps such as Messages, Maps, and Facetime, the headset is expected to offer an app store and a mixed reality world where users can get productive.

Apple’s mixed reality headset will be the company’s first new product since the launch of the Apple Watch and the HomePod in the past decade, but it likely won’t appeal to a broad audience. With a $2,000-$3,000 expected price range, Apple’s headset would be even more expensive than the $1,500 Meta Quest Pro.

Tagged with Apple, mixed reality