Apple registers ‘xrOS’ trademark before revealing AR/MR headset: what it means

Over the past few years, rumors about Apple’s mixed reality headset have been increasing – and now, with WWDC 2023 just around the corner, Apple appears to have registered its “xrOS” trademark. xrOS is likely the interface that runs on Apple’s mixed reality headsets.

According to 9to5Mac, Apple filed for a trademark of the same name after registering the trademark earlier this year. Apple, known for its discretion, applied for the word mark through a shell company based in New Zealand. In fact, Apple used the same company to register the xrOS trademark in January.

For those unfamiliar, a wordmark is basically a type of logo used by brands to promote products publicly. Apple typically opts for the well-known San Francisco font style, created by the company itself, and this time is no different. It’s in line with other Apple wordmarks like iOS, iPadOS and MacOS.

Bloomberg mentioned in a report last year that Apple is adopting xrOS as the name for a mixed reality software interface that uses headphones. When Apple’s shell company applies for a trademark and secures the rights to use the word mark, it is likely that Apple will have settled on the name xrOS.

As WWDC 2023 approaches, rumors suggest that Apple’s AR/MR headset may be launched during the event. However, recently, analysts including Ming-Chi Kuo expressed their belief that Apple is not too optimistic about the announcement of the headphones. They believe that Apple is trying to recreate the level of impact of the iPhone launch, and as a result, the announcement may be delayed by 1-2 months to the middle of the third quarter of 2023.

Kuo also pointed out that the product’s expected yield may be lower than originally estimated, resulting in a delay in mass production for assembly. Kuo estimates this year’s shipments to range between 2-3 lakh units, significantly lower than the market consensus of 5 lakh or more.

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