Tech giant Apple is expected to debut its long-awaited mixed-reality headset later this year, following seven years of development.

A Bloomberg News report indicated that Apple will likely introduce the device to consumers in June, under the name "Reality Pro." Apple uses the "Pro" appendage across most of its higher-end, power-user-focused product lines.

According to Bloomberg, the Reality Pro will begin to ship in the fall of 2023, matching the timeline released last week by acclaimed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo reported that software development and mechanical component issues had forced Apple to delay shipment to the latter half of 2023.

Kuo also anticipated that Apple would announce its headset either in the spring or at the company's developer event, the Worldwide Developers Conference, which is typically in June.

Apple has already shared the device with a small number of high-profile software developers for testing, letting them get started on third-party apps, reports Bloomberg. The device's operating system, dubbed "Borealis" inside the company, will be publicly named xrOS.

Apple has been a player in the virtual, augmented, and mixed reality sphere for years, offering selective features on iOS and iPadOS, its iPhone and iPad operating systems. A dedicated mixed reality headset would potentially allow Apple consumers to do ​​anything, from trying on prescription glasses to modeling furniture purchases in their personal spaces.

Bloomberg reports that Apple's headset is expected to cost between $2,000 and $3,000 and will have more than 10 cameras on the exterior and interior of the device.

By committing itself to the virtual reality market, Apple has positioned itself to be in direct competition with Meta, Mark Zuckerberg's brainchild, which has spent billions to lay out the tech giant's vision for the metaverse.

A Twitter account shares a mock-up of what Apple's newest mixed-reality headset could look like.

As of now, Apple's Reality Pro will not share many similarities to Meta's "Quest" line, which is a pure virtual reality product. Mixed reality augments a user's environment, rather than replacing it entirely with a computer-generated view.

Due to its increased focus on the production of the headset, the rest of Apple's 2023 lineup is expected to be uninspiring, according to Bloomberg. Many of the company's other products, like its MacBooks, Watch, TV and iPads will get relatively minor updates this year.

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