Report Says Apple’s iPhone Successor Will Be AR Headset Powered By rOS Coming In 2020

Hot on the heels of ARKit, released as part of iOS 11, Apple is said to be working on bringing its own dedicated augmented reality headset to market as soon as 2020, according to a new report by Bloomberg.

While that launch target is said to be “very aggressive,” the potential for slippage is certainly there. If we do get the headset on time it is believed to include an independent screen with an integrated chipset, similar to that of the Apple Watch.

With a chip in the works that would resemble the Apple Watch’s S1, the software that will power the headset will be called “rOS” and will be a fork of iOS in a similar way to watchOS and tvOS. While the way the device will be handled in software is relatively clear, the details are less specific when it comes to how the headset will be controlled.

The Bloomberg report mentions voice control, touch panels and even head gestures as means for controlling the device. What we do know is that development of rOS is apparently being headed up by Geoff Stahl within Apple.

Another question mark exists over the form that the headset will take. The report suggests a full headset device similar to Oculus Rift is in the works, although that is obviously at this point unconfirmed.

This is the first we have heard of Apple working on a dedicated AR headset, and with such a long lead time before we expect to see this thing appear on store shelves there is plenty of time for plans to change before more concrete rumors pop up, let alone an official announcement from Apple.

(Source: Bloomberg | Top image: Apple Glass Concept)

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