It seems that Apple is developing an operating system that is especially designed for the use of virtual and augmented reality.
An Apple VR/AR headset and Apple Glasses are expected to be released by the tech giant next year; both devices are reported to be focused on augmented reality as well.
A new operating system is required for a new form factor, and it seems like Apple will provide that, with iOS developer Rens Verhoeven noticing a reference to “realityOS” in App Store upload logs.
However, one thing is for certain: this isn’t a code name. For one thing, code names are meant to obscure the true purpose of a project, but Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claimed in 2017 that Apple’s operating system was code-named Oak.
Furthermore, the naming convention resembles that of Apple’s previous operating systems, such as iOS, macOS, iPadOS, tvOS and watchOS, suggesting that this is a trademarked term. Then then, everything may change, particularly when we’re so close to seeing a new item on store shelves.
In the past, we had been told that Apple’s VR/AR headset was expected to be released this year, but the most recent sources indicate that the headgear is now expected to be released in 2023. There have been contradictory claims as to whether Apple would go down the path of piggybacking the headset off of other devices, such as a Mac or an iPhone.
Apple’s smart glasses, which the company supposedly sees as a replacement for the iPhone in the next decade, are still a long way off. And that’s not unexpected, considering the importance of getting the form factor just right the first time around for broad acceptance. An lacklustre initial generation of Apple’s next big thing will leave it beside Google Glass on the tech scrapheap.