In recent years, we have seen most major tech companies venturing into AR and VR. However, Apple remained quiet about their hardware choice to leverage the technology of AR or VR.
The last time apple teased something in this regard was AR emojis. There have been many rumors suggesting that Apple was working on an AR headset, and that was it.
However, Macrumors, the team who are almost always correct with their Apple-related leaks have released an article detailing about Garta – the codename apple has given for their AR wearable.
The team behind Macrumors studied the documentation of iOS 13 internal build and found out the inclusion of something called “STARTester” app. The app had two modes, a wearable mode, and a handheld more.
An internal README file in the iOS13 build mentioned a “StarBoard” shell that is aimed at facilitating AR-enabled apps. Macrumors studied the code that was in the internal build and found strings that are particularly tied to AR like “ARStarBoardViewController” and “ARStarBoardSceneManager.”
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From this info, it is clear that Apple is developing a wearable that uses AR and since it can operate under two modes, it is certainly a headset. There has been quite some buzz about the release of this mysterious device.
Credible sources like Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at CNET, and Mark Gurman from Bloomberg believe that Apple is going to unveil their new wearable device in early 2020. It reportedly creating an OS particularly for this new AR device called rOS or Reality Operating System.
The last piece of the puzzle was discovered when Macrumours found an icon showing a headset symbol.
Now when you factor in recent developments like apple’s acquisition of AR Display startup Akonia, it paints a picture about what Apple has in mind for AR. Akonia focused on holographic data storage and made remarkable advancement in the field. Later on, they put their research on non-storage and display use.
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It is now clear that Apple is indeed working on an AR wearable and many point to a release date of early 2020. Such a release would certainly spice up the competition and would impact brands like Microsoft and Samsung. What we can do is wait!