Apple’s upcoming mixed-reality headsetIt is the most well-kept secret in tech at the moment. Now, a new detail has emerged: that the operating system powering the device has been internally renamed to “xrOS” at Apple, forsaking the earlier mooted name of “realityOS.” The name change could suggest Apple is gearing up to reveal the headset to the world.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the “xr” in the name stands for “extended reality,” which is a nod to the headset’s mixed-reality capabilities. The headset is expected offer virtual reality (VR), and augmented realities (AR) experiences. The former will be entirely digital and include video and audio, while the latter will overlay virtual elements onto the real world.
Previously, the general understanding among Apple followers was that the operating system powering the headset would be called “realityOS,” or perhaps “rOS” for short. It now appears Apple has appended the latter with an X in a signal towards the headset’s combined VR and AR offering.
Beyond that, Apple might be hoping to turn “xr” into a recognisable brand of sorts, especially if the headset performs well against potential rivals such as the Meta Quest Pro. Apple had already used the initialism for the iPhone XR. But, in that case the letters did no actually stand to represent anything.
Mysterious shell-company
Gurman added that the “xrOS” name was trademarked by “a secretive shell corporation named Deep Dive LLC” in several countries around the same time as the name change occurred internally at Apple. The trademark is being sought by the company in the US.
While it is not known whether Apple is behind Deep Dive LLC, if it is, it could be a sign that Apple is planning to use the “xrOS” name publicly and not just as an internal code name. Apple frequently uses shell corporations for trademark registrations. MacOS ReleasesSo such a move wouldn’t be unusual.
There are however a few clues to link Apple with the trademark claims. According to Gurman, the claims come under the classifications of “head-mounted displays” and devices that provide “virtual reality and augmented reality experiences.” Intriguingly, those are the same categories that were used when the name “realityOS” was trademarked in 2021, and Gurman states he has been able to confirm that name was indeed trademarked by Apple.
Rumors suggest Apple’s mixed-reality headset could be announced January 2023 –With a product launch expected in the second half of this year, Apple is expected go all-out on this device with 8K displays for each eye and hand-tracking capabilities.
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