Apple board has been shown its upcoming augmented reality headset, report claims

Headset could arrive in the coming months

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Apple’s board have been shown its upcoming augmented reality headset, a new report claims.

The development could suggest that the hotly-rumoured, largely-secret device is soon to be announced. While it may not be ready for Apple’s WWDC event next month, it could be launched not long after that, according to Bloomberg, which first report the story.

Apple’s board is made up of eight independent directors as well as Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive. It meets four times a year, and the demonstration was made at the most recent gathering, Bloomberg reported.

The company is also speeding up development on rOS, which stands for reality operating system and makes up the software that will power the headset, the report claimed.

The augmented reality headset is said to be Apple’s next big hope for a new class of device on the level of an Apple Watch or iPhone.

Apple’s augmented reality headset has been rumoured for years, and a separate recent report in The Information suggested that its board members were shown a very early version in 2016. Those prototypes were at very early stages and relied on other technology, the report claimed, with the demonstration primarily made to bring board members on board with the idea.

The new report, however, suggests that board members have been shown a version that is much closer to release. It could arrive within the next “several months”, it said, in line with previous reports that it is being planned for this year or the next.

Previous reports have suggested that it will combine the real world with virtual objects, using augmented reality frameworks that have already been demonstrated in the iPhone and iPad. Developers could put maps or other objects on top of the real world, for instance.

Rumours have also suggested that the headset could include various design elements that have already been seen in existing Apple products. It could have the mesh from the AirPods Max and use a similar system for the headband as in the Apple Watch straps, The Information has previously reported.

But recent reports have also suggested that the headset could have been delayed, after problems with keeping it from overheating and improvements being made to the cameras.