Apple’s long-rumored mixed reality may finally debut this spring

After years of development, Apple’s long-rumored augmented and virtual reality headset is almost ready. According to of Bloomberg Mark Gurman, the company plans to announce the device sometime this spring before the annual WWDC conference in June. In a sign that a launch is finally on the horizon, Apple has reportedly shared the headset with a handful of high-profile software developers, giving them a first look at the new . After announcing the “Reality Pro” in the spring, Gurman expects Apple to release the device in the fall.

The latest sprint to bring out the headset will affect the rest of Apple’s product lineup in 2023. As for software, the next version of the company’s iOS operating system will likely ship with “less major changes than originally planned,” due to the reassignment of software engineers from Apple to the xrOS team. “The same goes for macOS 14,” Gurman adds. Apple’s hardware plans are even less exciting. The company has no updates planned for its iPad, Apple Watch and audio lines. Gurman says new iPad Pro models with OLED displays are on the way, but they probably won’t arrive until 2024. He warns that what’s ahead will be “another disappointment.” The upcoming desktop will reportedly have the same design as its 2019 predecessor, and you won’t be able to upgrade the computer’s RAM yourself due to Apple’s M-series chipset architecture.

The only bright spots in an otherwise dull release schedule may be the new 15-inch MacBook Air and the iPhone 15. For the latter, Gurman says the entire iPhone 15 lineup will include Apple’s new Dynamic Island feature and . The Pro models will also feature new titanium bezels and touch-sensitive volume buttons.