Apple Schedules 'Special Evening Activity' at WWDC Amid Mixed Reality Headset Launch Rumours

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2023 — the company's annual developer focussed conference — is set to kick off on June 5, and the firm has announced the schedule for the upcoming event. The company is expected to unveil new versions of its iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS operating systems at WWDC 2023. However, this year's schedule also includes a special activity that comes amid speculation that the company will unveil its first mixed reality headset, alongside a new operating system for wearables.

While the Cupertino company previously confirmed that the keynote event for WWDC 2023 will begin on June 5, developer Paul Hudson (Twitter: @twostraws) spotted a microsite for a "Special Evening Activity" on the same date, after the company's Platforms State of the Union and Meet the Teams events and the tours of the company's offices and the inner meadow at Apple Park in California. 

Open to a few developers that have already been selected, the company has informed those who have been selected to attend that it is an event they "won't want to miss", according to Hudson. Apple will conduct another event at the Apple Developer Center on June 6 to "discuss some of the latest announcements," he adds.

Apple's microsite reveals no details of what to expect from the event, which means that developers and enthusiasts will have to wait until June 5 to see whether any new hardware or software is demonstrated at the event. According to reports from Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, Apple is planning to unveil its first mixed reality headset at WWDC 2023. 

Earlier reports have suggested that Apple's headset could be priced around $3,000 (roughly Rs. 2.50 lakh) and named "Reality Pro". Even though the headset is tipped to resemble ski googles and "enclose" the wearer's eyes, they will reportedly be able to see their surroundings while wearing the headset, thanks to several external cameras. It is also said to be powered by an external two-hour battery pack, worn by the wearer, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. 

Last December, Bloomberg reported that Apple had internally changed the name of its dedicated operating system for the mixed reality headset from realityOS to xrOS. Extended reality (XR) technology comprises both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), and Apple's purported device is expected to compete with devices from firms like Meta, which offers mixed reality experiences with its Quest Pro headset.