It's WWDC 2022 time, the event where Apple is expected to reveal iOS 16, a new version of macOS, an update to the Apple Watch, among other predicted reveals.
As with everything Apple, secrecy is key. We don't expect to see the iPhone 14 – but pretty much everything else is on the cards, including a rumoured M2-powered MacBook Air (and maybe even a new Mac mini with the same hardware).
But it seems there could be something pretty big missing: Apple's rumoured VR/AR headset. With the Sony PSVR 2 coming soon, we reckon Apple needs to get a wiggle on.
According to well-respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has broken a lot of Apple scoops in the past, we won't be seeing the AR/VR headset at WWDC (Tweets embedded below).
Kuo's sources back up previous reports from Bloomberg, which placed a 2023 timeframe on the headset, after Apple ran into numerous problems with its hardware and production.
(1/2)It still takes some time before Apple AR/MR headset enters mass production, so I don't think Apple will release AR/MR headset and rumored realityOS at WWDC this year. Apple's competitors worldwide can't wait to see the hardware spec and OS design for Apple's AR/MR headset.May 31, 2022
(2/2)I'm sure that if Apple announces AR/MR headset and its OS at WWDC, competitors will immediately kick off copycat projects and happily copy Apple's excellent ideas, and hit the store shelves before Apple launches in 2023.May 31, 2022
Not so fast
Kuo is likely responding to a Tweet (embedded below) showing that a company trademarked "realityOS", aimed specifically at "wearable computer hardware". While this hasn't been linked to Apple specifically, code from a GitHub repo in February referenced "realityOS".
We don't know that much about Apple's plans – by design, given its secrecy, and because so much is up in the air – but it does seem likely that we'll need to wait until 2023 to get a glimpse of its likely VR headset.
In the meantime, we can sit back and enjoy the WWDC show that Apple has planned for us. The keynote kicks off at 6pm UK time / 1pm East Coast / 10am West Coast on Monday 6 June. T3 will have a live blog on the day, so keep your eyes peeled for all the big reveals.
It cannot be a coincidence that the “realityOS” trademark owned by a company that seemingly doesn’t exist and is specifically for “wearable computer hardware” is being filed around the world on June 8, 2022 https://t.co/myoRbOvgJa + https://t.co/AH97r95EMn pic.twitter.com/uvsiZCj2rRMay 29, 2022
