In brief: Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) takes place in a few hours, where the world's most valuable company is expected to reveal its entry into the mixed-reality market with the Reality Pro AR/VR headset. You can watch the stream as it happens right here at 1pm ET / 10am PT.
While the latest operating system updates for a range of devices will be announced at WWDC, most people will be watching to see the first official glimpse of Apple's long-rumored headset.
The device was reportedly set to be unveiled in April, but Apple pushed it to June as the company needed more time to address hardware and software issues before revealing the developer version.
Apple has been developing the Reality Pro AR/VR for around eight years now. It's expected to offer high-end features such as an M2 chip, dual 4K microLED displays, more than a dozen cameras for augmented reality (it has a digital crown for switching to VR), and advanced hand tracking. It can also create full-body avatars of a person the wearer is speaking to over FaceTime.
The headset also uses an external battery pack offering about two hours of juice. It's attached to a user around the hip area and is connected to the headset through a USB-C cable.
Elsewhere, the device offers a 3D-like view of an iPhone interface and upgraded versions of classic apps such as Safari, TV, Messages, and Mail. Users will be able to look at apps to select them and pinch their fingers to launch the programs. They can even use an "air typing" feature for inputting text. We're also expecting to see a new operating system, likely to be called xrOS, in Apple's thin and light headset.
While that does sound appealing, Apple is rumored to be slapping a $3,000 price tag on the Reality Pro AR/VR, which would definitely impact sales figures. It's not expected to launch to the public until next year.
In addition to the headset, Apple is said to be revealing a 15-inch MacBook Air at the event. There might also be a new version of the Mac Studio, and expect to see iOS 17, macOS 14, watchOS 10, tvOS 17, and HomePod Software 17. There could be some surprises during the show, too.