Citing knowledgeable sources, last week, Apple experts demonstrated a prototype of a highly-ready virtual reality device at a board meeting, according to Bloomberg. At the same time, work was accelerated on a special Apple rOS operating system, which speaks of the company’s ability to present the headset in the near future.

If this device, which combines the capabilities of virtual and augmented reality, is released in the coming months, this event will mark the emergence of a new category of Apple products for the first time since the Apple Watch was introduced in 2015. The company is looking to enter new segments and although more than half brings smartphones, revenue from the sale of devices still accounts for about 80% of Apple’s total revenue.

After repeated delays, Apple hoped to unveil the headset, codenamed N301, at the June WWDC conference, but meeting deadlines prevented problems with prototypes overheating and lack of proper software. Now the company hopes to introduce the innovation at the end of this year or early next year, and it will hit the market in 2023. The headset will receive a high-resolution display and one of the M1 family processors installed in Mac laptops. The headset will cost more than $2,000, but the company expects to sell at least one copy per day in terms of each of the branded stores available.

By the end of the decade, Apple should introduce the N421 headset, which will focus on augmented reality functions. The company’s president, Tim Cook, has repeatedly stated that he sees this space as more commercially promising, since virtual reality is limited to entertainment in its purest form.

According to IDC, sales of virtual and augmented reality headsets increased by 92% last year to 11 million units, with the dominant position (78%) occupied by Meta Platforms products offered under the Oculus brand. Competitor Apple will have to make a lot of effort to gain a foothold in this market.