Apple’s mixed reality headset might come in June

Apple’s Mixed Reality headsets are coming this year, but getting there hasn’t been easy, and the upcoming iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 operating systems have required some new features from Apple.

This is from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who details Apple’s plans for 2023 in his latest “Power On” newsletter.

After multiple delays, Gurman claims that Apple is finally ready to launch a mixed reality headset ahead of June’s Worldwide Developers Conference. He likely named this device Reality Pro, and the name of the operating system it runs is codenamed Borealis, and he’ll likely be xrOS. The product, which has been in the hands of “a handful of well-known software developers” for testing purposes, could hit store shelves in the fall of 2023.

This is in line with Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s latest report, which said that mixed reality headsets will likely be delayed to the second half of 2023 due to “software-related issues.”

The headset is probably a high-end and expensive device, with an Apple M2 chip, 10+ cameras inside and out, and a very high resolution display.

To get there, Apple reportedly had to use resources from other divisions. Gurman said his upcoming iOS 17 and his iPadOS 17, as well as macOS 14, will have fewer major changes than originally planned.

As for other upcoming offerings, Gurman claims a new MacBook Pro in the first half of 2023, but no rumored 12-inch MacBook. His upcoming high-end Mac Pro configuration has been canceled as well, but the larger iMac Pro probably won’t see the light of day until late 2023 or 2024.

Apple’s iPad and Apple Watch won’t see any major changes aside from minor performance improvements, Gurman claims, and Apple TV and AirPods likely won’t get any refreshes this year. may return (the original was retired in March 2021). It costs less, has an updated touch control panel on top, and features the S8 chip found in the latest version of the Apple Watch.

Finally, we have Apple’s flagship product, the iPhone. The changes on the software side are more modest than expected, but Gurman said the new iPhone hardware could be impressive. Dynamic Islands should appear on all four of his upcoming models, but only the Pro variant is available with a new titanium frame and haptic volume buttons. New iPhones will eventually get USB-C charging ports instead of Lightning. This is probably because Apple has little choice but to make the switch in Europe.