A supply chain report claims that Apple has successfully completed necessary production tests for its maiden offering in the AR/VR headset space.

Based on information obtained from component suppliers, a report from DigiTimes claims that Apple’s upcoming mixed reality headset has finished second-phase engineering validation tests (EVT2), taking it a step closer to production. The report adds that the headset should debut by the end of 2022.

Previous rumors indicated that Apple was aiming for a 2022 launch, but Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claimed that Apple was facing issues with the camera system and design of the headset. He added the launch could be delayed until 2023. Meanwhile, the rumor mill suggests work for Apple’s operating system for this headset continues to progress at full steam. RealityOS or rOS has been rumored to be in development since 2017. Its existence was recently corroborated by App Store upload logs and open-source code on GitHub that mentioned it. Further, a rumor suggests Apple could use a subscription model for third-party apps on rOS.

Speaking of the headset’s hardware itself, Apple is expected to equip the device with two 4K micro-OLED displays, support for Wi-Fi 6E, and the computational power of a high-end M1 processor. Gesture tracking and facial expression detection are also rumored, although the focus would be on content consumption, gaming, and VR communication. These technological advancements are expected to come at a relatively steep price of $2,000.

What are your expectations from Apple’s upcoming AR/VR headset? Tell us in the comments section below. While you’re at it, be sure to check out our roundup of everything we know about this device yet.