Apple will unveil the iPhone 11 series next week,
likely alongside new Apple Watch models, but these aren’t the only new
iOS products the company is developing. In fact, some of them might not
be introduced until a much later date, and we’re not talking about the
2019 iPad Pro models that should be announced in October. A discovery in
an internal iOS 13 development build suggests Apple hasn’t stopped
developing its rumored augmented reality (AR) glasses, revealing some
details about the unreleased device.
The AR glasses, which we’ve called Apple Glasses in the past
because of Apple’s way of naming some of its products under Tim Cook,
have made appearances in previous rumors. Several well-known insiders
familiar with Apple’s plans claimed in the past few years that Apple is
indeed developing AR glasses, which should be unveiled in 2020 at the
earliest.
Since then, we saw Apple turn AR into one of the main features of
iOS, with each new software release, including new AR tricks. This has
been seen as proof that Apple is laying the foundation of what will
eventually become the operating system of Apple Glasses, which will
probably be based on iOS. These Apple Glasses should work as a companion
device, at least at first, requiring a connection to an iPhone to
operate, just like the Apple Watch does.
With a few days left until Apple releases the final version of iOS 13, MacRumors inspected an internal development build of the upcoming operating system. That’s where it spotted a STARTester
app that can switch in and out of a head-mounted mode “presumably to
replicate the functionality of an augmented reality headset on an iPhone
for testing purposes.” The test includes two modes, “worn,” and “held,”
which further supports the idea that it’s a test for AR glasses.
Furthermore,
an internal “Readme” file in IOS 13 describes a “Starboard” system
shell for stereo AR apps, which also implies the use of a headset. The
same file indicates that Apple is developing an AR device called
“Garta,” which could be one of many prototypes, MacRumors says.
The
“Starboard mode” is also referenced elsewhere in the code, with
“views,” and “scenes.” Some of these strings mention AR clearly, like
“ARStarBoardViewController” and “ARStarBoardSceneManager.”
There
are no images for these Apple Glasses prototypes, and no official
timeline for their launch. Apple doesn’t talk publicly about whatever
projects it may have in development, but Tim Cook did say in the past
the company is working on products that haven’t been rumored.
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