What you need to know
- Speculation suggested Apple may unveil a new realityOS or even a new AR/VR headset at WWDC 22.
- Ming-Chi Kuo says that this is now very unlike.y
- He says that Apple's competitors "can't wait" to see the device and would likely try to copy it.
Another analyst says that one of the most anticipated announcements at WWDC 22, a virtual reality headset and operating system, may never materialize.
The news comes following rampant speculation that Apple could unveil a new augmented or mixed reality headset, or its realityOS operating system, or both at the WWDC keynote next week.
Early Tuesday, prolific Apple insider and supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated:
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.
Kuo went on to say that if Apple did unveil a new AR/VR headset at WWDC 2022 then its competitors "will immediately kick off copycat projects and happily copy Apple's excellent ideas", even beating Apple to shelves ahead of a rumored 2023 release date for Apple VR.
The news follows a similar suggestion from Mark Gurman, who says a demo or presentation of Apple VR is unlikely. However, Gurman did say we might get a new MacBook Air with all-new Apple silicon at the conference, possibly the famed M2 chip, Apple's second iteration of Apple silicon.
A new M2 Apple silicon MacBook Air would supplant the previous M1 model and could be the best MacBook that Apple has ever put out if the first attempt at Apple silicon is anything to go by.
WWDC kicks off on June 6 with the customary keynote speech on Monday morning, where Apple will unveil iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, the next version of macOS, and more.
Over the weekend a trademark for 'realityOS' was spotted in filings from a company likely connected to Apple, however, it has been suggested that the timing of the discovery is probably just a coincidence just a few days away from Apple's annual developer conference.
