Apple is reportedly developing xrOS to power the next ecosystem of devices
With 2022 ending somewhat quietly with just one fall event, all eyes are on 2023. But new Macs, iPads, and iPhones may not be the star of 2023. Instead, a new report suggests Apple is preparing an entirely new ecosystem.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is “ramping up work on a mixed reality headset” that will finally launch in the new year. Along with the hardware, which has so far managed to avoid major leaks, Apple is working on a new dedicated operating system called xrOS, as well as an xrOS App Store for third-party software. Like iOS and macOS, the new name suggests that the platform is an important part of the headset.
Bloomberg had previously reported that Apple’s operating system was being developed under the name realityOS, but the new xrOS branding suggests Apple has bigger plans for the ecosystem. Bloomberg notes that “xr” stands for extended reality, which includes both virtual and augmented reality devices and applications. Like iOS and macOS, xrOS will likely be a full platform of devices with features that complement each other and Apple’s other devices.
One of the xrOS devices will certainly be a headset – or possibly two if Apple continues to separate its products into Pro and non-Pro models – but another could be slightly smaller and even more personal. In a patent application to the US Patent & Trademark Office, Apple described a “Self-Mixing Interferometry-Based Input Device” or an Apple Ring. As noted by Patently Apple, Apple describes the system as an “SMI-based gesture input system, including at least one from a wearable or handheld device.”
Such a system would of course work very well in combination with a headset. Apple also shows how the Ring works with an Apple Pencil for AR applications. An Apple Ring would also presumably have health features that also work independently of a headset, similar to the Oura Smart Ring that tracks sleep, readiness and activity.
Work on Apple’s mixed reality “metaverse” is steadily ramping up, with rumors pointing to a 2023 launch. The headset will reportedly feature a pair of 8K displays, an M1 processor, and carry a hefty price tag. But if the rumors of a new platform and ecosystem are true, the price and wait will be worth the investment.
