In a piece of recent news, Apple is reportedly using the name ‘RealityOS’ for the operating system running on its rumored virtual and augmented reality headset. The name has also appeared in a trademark filing spotted by Parker Ortolani.
RealityOS Headset
RealityOS, the trademark application has not officially been filed by Apple, but it’s common practice for large companies to apply for trademarks under one-off company names — like Realityo Systems LLC, in this case — in the state of Delaware for the sole purpose of maintaining anonymity.
The trademark application is the latest evidence that Apple is on the cusp of announcing its long-rumored headset. The design and functionality of Apple’s headset has been the source of much speculation over the years, but most reports suggest that it’ll be able to offer a combination of virtual reality and augmented reality experiences, immersing you in virtual content as well as layering virtual elements over real-world environments.
Registered by a Shell Company
The RealityOS trademark has not been applied for by Apple itself, and has instead been registered by a company called “Realityo Systems LLC.” But Ortolani reports that Realityo doesn’t appear to have any public presence, suggesting that it’s a shell company used by the Cupertino-based tech company to hide its involvement. Apple has reportedly taken the same approach in the past, 9to5Mac reports, using a shell company called “Yosemite Research LLC” to register macOS update names like Yosemite, Big Sur, and Monterey.
Both Realityo Systems LLC and Yosemite Research LLC are registered at the same address, which heavily implies that Apple is behind them. The RealityOS filings for a trademark and service mark don’t list any examples of the name’s use in public (meaning the product they’re associated with is yet to be released), and they’re also the only two applications associated with Realityo Systems LLC.
The applications have been discovered just days before Apple is due to kick off its annual developer conference next week on June 6th, and are listed with deadlines of June 8th, leading to speculation that we could see the headset announced during Apple’s keynote.
