It is reported that Apple’s mixed reality headphones will come with an M2 chip

Apple’s mixed-reality headphones have been shrouded in rumors for months, and a new report by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg shows that it may come with Apple’s flagship processor M2. According to Gourmet, Apple’s latest version of the device, which is reportedly capable of delivering an augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experience, includes a basic M2 chip and 16 GB of RAM.

This deviates from the previous prediction of supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that Apple’s headset will have a single processor with the capabilities of an M1 chip and an additional lower-end processor designed to process data from the device’s sensors. Although Gurman does not mention the alleged secondary chip in this report, an earlier report by The Information also talked about setting up multiple chips.

If Apple originally planned to use the M1 as the main processor of the headphones, it only makes sense for the company to replace it with the latest iteration of its own chip. Apple announced the new M2 chip at its World Developers Conference (WWDC) earlier this month and says it offers an 18% faster CPU and 35% faster GPU than the older M1 chip.

Rumors of the device’s stand-alone form factor have also begun to spread, and Gurman’s prediction that it will include 16 GB of RAM could show a potentially more powerful level of performance than all in one Meta Quest 2. Meta’s VR headphones are coming with 6GB of RAM and the Snapdragon XR2 platform, so it will be interesting to see how Apple’s headphones compare when they are finally released.

There are indications that Apple’s headphones are approaching their launch window in January 2023. Apple’s board of directors has reportedly been given the chance to test the headphones in May. RealityOS, the operating system that will reportedly use the headset, also appeared in Apple’s code and in a trademark application, possibly filed by the company.

Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook almost confirmed the existence of the headset when he told China Daily interviewers to “stay tuned and see what we have to offer” in the mixed reality space.