According to multiple US media reports, Apple executives previewed the upcoming mixed reality (MR) headset to the company's board of directors last week.
The device reportedly combines virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) capabilities. In recent weeks, Apple has also accelerated the development of the ROS operating system that will be used on the headset, according to other people familiar with the matter.
This development, coupled with the board's product preview, suggests the product could debut in the coming months. If the news is true, Apple's MR headset will be the latest major product category since the Apple Watch was announced in the fall of 2014.
This also echoes a recent report from 9to5Mac, a technology media focused on Apple news: Mike Rockwell, the founder of Apple's headset, is leading about 2,000 technical development team employees to participate in the development.
The report said that CEO Cook also supported the headset project, but he did not show the enthusiasm that "Jobs was highly involved in iPhone development." The lack of Cook's "full support" has made it difficult for the headset team to get more development staff in the race against other devices, the sources said.
It is widely believed that Apple will officially announce the headset sometime between fall 2022 and summer 2023, with official sales in 2023.
Still, there are still questions in the market about the price of the headset and its capabilities. Some analysts predict that the price may be between $2,000 and $3,000.