Source: news.google.com
Amid the growing list of leaks surrounding Apple’s AR/VR headset rumors, we’ve heard mentions of a realityOS platform that’s supposed to provide the software foundation for the device, and now trademark filings recording that same name.
Seen by Parker Ortolani (opens in a new tab), a manager of consumer products at Verge, Polygon and the Vox Media Podcast network, there are now two US trademarks for the name “realityOS”, owned by a company called Realityo Systems LLC. These are the only two trademarks of that company, and there is no information about it online.
The submissions were made in December 2021 and refer to “computer and video game hardware, software, peripherals, and gaming design and development,” and there is also specific mention of “laptop hardware.”
It can’t be a coincidence that the “realityOS” trademark owned by a company that apparently doesn’t exist and is specifically for “laptop hardware” launches worldwide on June 8, 2022 https://t.co/ myoRbOvgJa + https://t.co/AH97r95EMn pic.twitter.com/uvsiZCj2rRMay 29, 2022
board approval
Remember that we’ve already seen references to realityOS in Apple software, and the international filing deadline for trademarks is June 8, 2022; that’s just two days after we see Apple CEO Tim Cook’s keynote speech at the WWDC 2022 event.
Add in that Apple has a way when it comes to transferring trademarks from fictional companies just days after the major announcements, and that the United States Patent and Trademark Office notes that the filings are for an unreleased product, and you have some very strong indications that Apple’s AR/VR device could be about to launch.
Just a few days ago, we heard that the headset and its realityOS software had been shown off at Apple’s board of directors, making a June launch even more likely. Hardware announcements at WWDC are rare, but not entirely unheard of.
Analysis: what we know so far (we think)
Rumors surrounding an Apple headset that combines virtual reality (closed digital worlds) and augmented reality (the digital and real world combined), aka mixed reality, have been circulating for years at this point. One of the first big hints we got was Apple boss Tim Cook’s enthusiasm for the potential of augmented reality in 2018.
We think the mixed reality headset could come alongside a lighter pair of Apple Glasses that focus primarily on AR. More evidence of the existence of these two devices came in December of last year, when Apple made a major hire in the field of augmented reality public relations.
If the AR/VR headset is the first product to appear, it’s likely to have a high cost attached to it: perhaps more than $2,000 (that’s around £1,585 / AU$2,795). High-end specs including 4K micro-OLED displays and powerful Apple-made processors, as well as eye-tracking capabilities, have been discussed.
At this stage, it would be a real surprise if there wasn’t a mixed reality headset on the way from Apple, but the question is, when will we see it? There have been reports of delays to 2023, but given the new information we have on trademarks, we recommend preparing for a major announcement at WWDC 2022 in June.
Read More at news.google.com