Elijah Fernandez
9 Oct 2022
It is long awaited for Apple to join the tech industry in the XR space.
Bloomberg has discovered trademarks that could reveal Apple’s plans for a naming scheme of their new mixed reality headsets.
This news gives us an idea of the tiers of headsets Apple is considering releasing.
(Image credit: Ian Zelbo)
Several trademark filings detected by Bloomberg support the idea that Apple's rumoured mixed reality headset will utilise 'Reality' in their naming scheme.
Earlier this month trademark applications were submitted in multiple countries across the world: Reality One, Reality Pro, and Reality Processor, Bloomberg records.
The initial two names may set apart variations of the rumoured MR headset, similar to iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, while 'Reality Processor' might be the platform's SoC. The report suggests Apple may be making use of an M2 SoC with 16 GB of memory.
Additionally, Bloomberg reports Apple's MR headset will concentrate on VR versions of apps like Maps and FaceTime, various social apps, as well as media apps for "sports and movies in VR and pc gaming." The trademarks also consist of "health-related functions".
None of the applications are registered to Apple’s name-- several were filed by 'Immersive Health Solutions'-- however companies often use shell companies as well as small law firms around the world to obfuscate their connection to upcoming products. At the time of this writing, these trademarks are still labelled as "pending".
A trademark submitted earlier this year was attributed to Apple supposedly staking its claim to the name 'realityOS', or what can be Apple’s mixed reality operating system. The trademark was filed just two months before 'realityOS' started appearing in Apple source code.
Nothing official has been stated by Apple regarding an upcoming MR headset from its black box headquarters in Cupertino.
Here's what we think we understand regarding Apple's MR headset, codenamed N301. Apple's first headset, which like Meta's Quest Pro, is said to include virtual reality displays and colour passthrough cameras that would allow it for augmented reality tasks-- i.e. making it a mixed reality headset.
Follow-up devices are said to include a headset codenamed N602, and also a proper set of AR glasses codenamed N421. Bloomberg suggests these headsets may show up at some time in later years.
We are excited to have more companies joining the XR space. Apple often has a unique take to technology which often both pushes the boundaries forward and creates unique challenges for consumers. For example, Apple is known for removing ports - see forwarding to the everyday user adapting bluetooth headphones and by forcing it, they accelerated that change to the be norm. We wonder how this future thinking mindset may change XR technology.