‘Next iOS version will have fewer innovations due to the arrival of Apple’s VR headset’
Upcoming versions of iOS and macOS may have fewer major innovations than previously planned, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports. According to him, this is related to the arrival of Apple’s unannounced VR headset. According to sources, it would be unveiled this spring.
Gurman speaks about the various times that the arrival of the headset has been postponed, the last time being at the end of last year. Apple had intended to introduce the headset this month and start shipping later this year, but the company is now targeting a spring unveiling, at least ahead of the Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Gurman reports this based on unnamed sources.
The headset has already been shared with a small number of software developers for testing purposes, so that applications can already be built. The device would run on an OS that would be known internally at Apple as Borealis, which would officially be called xrOS externally. The likely official name would be Reality Pro and deliveries would begin this fall.
In order to realize the introduction and deliveries in the current year, Apple would have taken money and manpower away from other hardware and software departments. This has consequences for those other projects, which in some cases were already faced with delays, cutbacks and the consequences of the economic downturn.
According to Gurman, this has consequences for iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, among others, but it is not clear whether and how many fewer planned innovations these next versions will have, and what exactly these features would be.
Furthermore, a new high-end version of the Mac Pro is said to have been canceled. Apple would only release a version with the M2 Ultra, which would make it a questionable purchase compared to the Mac Studio and the new Mac Pro would also look identical compared to the 2019 version. Users will not be able to upgrade the RAM themselves , because this is linked to the M2 Ultra chip.
As far as the iPad is concerned, according to Gurman, no major updates are expected in 2023. The arrival of OLED screens is only expected in the first half of 2024. There is also little to expect in terms of hardware for the Apple Watch this year and there are no plans to release a new Apple TV in 2023.