Apple’s AR/VR plans mock reference to ‘realityOS’ in App Store code

AR/VR

Apple’s AR/VR plans mock reference to ‘realityOS’ in App Store code

w3badmin

October 21, 2022

Apple’s AR/VR plans mock reference to ‘realityOS’ in App Store code

Source: news.google.com

It’s a fair bet that Apple is building a mixed reality headset.

As usual, Apple doesn’t say anything about future plans other than CEO Tim Cook expressing interest in virtual and augmented reality. But all the signs are there, from the hires to the leaks and, more recently, the possibility of a separate operating system dedicated to VR and AR: realityOS.

Some programmers spotted the term in Apple’s App Store upload logs, posted screenshots of code on Twitter, and then on 9to5Mac. (opens in a new tab) he picked it up. The references have since been removed from the code, lending even more credence to the idea that it was a slip-up on Apple’s (or perhaps one of its partners’) part.

If realityOS is real, it’s another indication that Apple is moving forward with VR/AR projects that likely include dedicated hardware.

The introduction of almost every new category of Apple products has given rise to a bespoke operating system. there are:

macOS for Mac
iOS for iPhone
watchOS for Apple Watch
iPadOS for iPad
tvOS for Apple TV

Naturally, an Apple MR (mixed reality) headset would also have its own platform.

There has also been some speculation that realityOS, if it exists, would be based on iOS. It’s a safe assumption, as the headset will need a power-hungry mobile-friendly platform, one that bridges the gap between the iPhone’s touch interface and the mostly hands-off approach to watchOS.

However, if realityOS is based on iOS, Apple will have to decide between using its current A-series mobile CPUs found in the iPhone (A15 Bionic) or one of the new M-series chips it’s adding to its computers. desktop and laptop.

Whichever processor you use, we imagine that realityOS will respond to a combination of head movements, eye tracking (by intention), and touch sensitivity in the headset.

It’s also possible that the first headsets won’t have an incredibly lightweight operating system, since it might get most of its computing power from a wirelessly connected iPhone.

Analysis: When could we see Apple’s MR headphones?

Rumors are currently split between seeing Apple’s first attempts at AR/VR headsets for WWDC 2022 and the tech creeping into 2023. Being an entirely new category for Apple, we’re pretty sure they won’t show us anything until be both eye-bursting and ready to demonstrate live to at least one virtual online audience.

And there is no real rush here. We are in the early days of the VR and AR revolution. The Metaverse is a crazy dream that Apple is happy to sit by and watch the competition and competitors chase after it like so many lemmings running off a cliff.

It’s not that Apple isn’t monitoring all activity. During Apple’s earnings call last month, cook said this on the Metaverse perspective, “That’s a great question. We’re a company in the innovation business. Always exploring new and emerging innovations. This area is very interesting to us. We have 14K AR apps on the App Store. I see a lot of potential.” in the space…”

From a consumer perspective, Apple continues to focus on augmented reality and all the ways its current hardware lineup can enable it (cameras, LiDAR sensors, and powerful built-in neural processing). It’ll likely stretch those capabilities as much as it can before officially introducing something like realityOS.