Apple’s mixed reality headset to be powered by M2 chip, report

Apple’s upcoming mixed reality (MR) headset will be powered by the company’s proprietary M2 chipset, according to a Bloomberg report. Apple’s MR headset is expected to be launched sometime in January 2023, renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said last week. 

The M2 is Apple’s second-gen ARM chip in the M series that powers its MacBooks, iPads, and Mac devices. The M2 chip was launched last month at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2022 and until now has only been seen in Apple’s laptops including the latest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. 

“I’m told the latest internal incarnations of the device (mixed reality headset) run the base M2 chip along with 16 gigabytes of RAM,” said Mark Gurman of Bloomberg. 

Gurman also pointed out that Apple is already working on the successor of the M2 chip. He believes that the M3 chip will be launched early next year along with an updated 13-inch MacBook Air, a 15-inch MacBook Air, a new iMac, and a 12-inch laptop that’s still under development. 

According to Apple, the M2 is a significant upgrade over its predecessor. It offers 18% faster CPU performance, 35% faster GPU performance, a 40% faster neural engine, and 50% more memory bandwidth than the M1 chip. 

Apple’s MR headset is believed to be in the final stages of development. The iPhone maker reportedly showcased the headset to its board members weeks before the WWDC, leading to the speculation that it may even get announced at the developer conference this year.

The MR headset is expected to run on a proprietary operating system called realityOS, which Apple has been developing for many years. Apple is also believed to have filed a trademark for the new OS in another company’s name at the US Patent and Trademark Office. 

Further, Gurman said that Apple is likely to launch multiple devices between the fall of 2022 and the first half of 2023. In addition to its first MR headset, Gurman believes that Apple may launch four iPhone 14 models, three Apple Watches, several Macs with M2 and M3 chips, low-end and high-end iPads, and updated AirPods Pro earbuds, a new HomePod and an upgraded Apple TV.