The rumors about Apple‘s mixed reality headset have been around for a while now, and a recent trademark application might just confirm these rumors.
Way back in 2017, it was rumored that Apple was developing a virtual and augmented reality headset that would be called RealityOS.
For years developers and non-developers alike have speculated about the viability of Apple’s rumored headset. Allegedly, the headset will allow users to experience both virtual and augmented reality.
Parker Ortolani recently spotted a trademark application for RealityOS. The trademark was registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on December 8, 2021.
Although a few references to RealityOS have been found on Apple software, the company hasn’t officially trademarked the name.
The trademark was filed under a company named Realityo Systems LLC. The company is based in Delaware, US.
Big companies often apply for trademarks under smaller unknown company names. This is very common with Apple because of its love for anonymity.
Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Apple’s board of directors had tested the headset. This and the trademark application fuel the rumors of the reality headset’s release.
Board members testing a new product is a common step before the product is released, so you might be seeing Apple’s headset sooner than you think.
The AR/VR headset was initially scheduled to release in 2022, but it faced a few setbacks because of development issues. According to Bloomberg, Apple will likely release the headset in 2023.
In the trademark document leaked by Ortolani, the headset is linked to the following categories; “software,” “peripherals,” and “wearable computer hardware.”
The document mentions the “design and development of computer hardware, software, peripherals, and computer and video games.”
This wouldn’t be the first time Apple has used a shell company to register a trademark. Apple used a company called “Yosemite Research LLC” to register future macOS names like Yosemite and Big Sur.
This company was also used to register Monterey in 2021. It was later discovered that the official name of the updated macOS was Monterey.
Another “coincidence” that ties RealityOS to Apple is that Yosemite Research LLC and Realityo Systems LLC are registered at the same address.
The news of this trademark and the upcoming Apple conference hints at the possibility of Apple announcing the new headset during the conference.
WWDC, Apple’s annual developer conference, will be held on June 6th and the deadline for “international filing” of the trademark is on June 8th.
Whether we will see the headset at WWDC is still unknown, but several factors indicate that it’ll soon be released.
Photo by Niccolò Chiamori on Unsplash