Prototypes of Apple's upcoming mixed-reality headset feature in-air typing technology, Bloomberg reported.
The tech, found on the most recent prototypes of the Reality Pro device, allows users to don the headset and type text using hand gestures and eye movements, Bloomberg said.
Mixed-reality differs from virtual-reality because both real and virtual objects are merged in the user's field of vision. Microsoft's HoloLens 2, which retails for $3,500, is described as a "hands-free computer" which renders holograms in the real world.
Both The Information and Bloomberg have reported that Apple's Reality Pro will retail at around $3,000 upon launch, which is expected later in 2023.
Unlike the Apple Watch, the Reality Pro probably won't need pairing with an iPhone, Bloomberg said.
Apple didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
The headset would mark Apple's entry into metaverse technology, competing with the likes of Meta's Quest Pro and Microsoft's HoloLens. Apple CEO Tim Cook previously told Dutch media outlet Bright that Apple avoids the word "metaverse" because "I'm really not sure the average person can tell you what the metaverse is."
In 2021, people familiar with the Reality Pro project told The Information it would include high-definition 8K displays and 12 cameras with eye-tracking technology. In August 2022, companies tied to Apple filed trademarks for devices named "Reality One," "Reality Pro," and "Reality Processor." Three months later, job listings surfaced looking for engineers to develop a 3D mixed-reality world for Apple.
Apple's secretive Exploratory Design Group, whose work includes a blood glucose monitor, is also working on headset features to help people with eye diseases, per Bloomberg.
