2023 is set to become Apple's year for its mixed-reality headset. As the company prepares for its launch this year, several engineering resources were diverted to AR/VR units to work with its operating system. Unfortunately, this halted development for other features.
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 03: Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi speaks during the keynote address during the 2019 Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) at the San Jose Convention Center on June 03, 2019 in San Jose, California. The WWDC runs through June 7.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
(Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 03: Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi speaks during the keynote address during the 2019 Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) at the San Jose Convention Center on June 03, 2019 in San Jose, California. The WWDC runs through June 7.
Halting iOS17, macOS14, and iPadOS17 Development
Apple has prioritized the development of xrOS (Codename 'Borealis'), as they launch the upcoming AR/VR headset this year. Based on a report from 9To5Mac, this means developing new features for iOS17, macOS 14, and iPadOS17 were halted in the meantime.
Several engineering resources were diverted in this unit in order for the software to develop just in time before its launch this year. This was the company's only choice as other departments were already struggling from their own delays and budget cuts due to the economic slowdown.
Operations temporarily stopped as it was reported that the upcoming updates will contain major changes than originally planned. This will interfere with their focus on developing the software for its new product. The software updates codenames for iPhone and iPad are called 'Dawn' while macOS is called 'Sunburst'.
Typically, Apple announces its new operating systems in June, which will be followed by the beta versions released for developers in the summer. This will be released publicly alongside the launch of its newest generation of iPhones.
The hardware for the upcoming new generation of iPhones is reported to have the same screen sizes as the 14 series but expect the Dynamic Island to expand to all four models. The 15 series are also expected to switch to USB-C and faster processors.
Augmented Reality in Apple Stores
Additionally, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reported that Apple is currently working on new augmented reality features for the Apple Store App.
This would activate when a certain user enters a physical Apple Store where they could point at a product in the retail store and it will automatically show more information in the augmented reality view.
The company has been working on this kind of AR-enhanced shopping experience since 2020 and has been testing the feature at selected stores more recently. While it remains unconfirmed, this may officially be released soon to the public.
Apple aims to launch its AR/VR headset this spring, ahead of the annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Originally, the plan was to launch the device in 2020, then moved to 2021, and moved to 2022.
The latest postponement happened last year when the headset was introduced to release in 2023, with shipments planned for later this year.
The device was already shared with several software developers for testing and development for potential third-party applications. By looking at this timeline, Appuals reported that Reality Pro (rumored named) orders would be shipped later in the fall of 2023.
