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iOS 13 file confirms Apple is testing an augmented reality headset

The device's 'Starboard' framework is evident.

Hints pulled from iOS 13 code have already shown signs of the rumored AR headset that Apple is supposedly working on, but now there's clearer proof than ever. Developer Steve Troughton-Smith points out a readme in a new release that explains to employees how they can run the augmented reality apps on an iPhone without using the actual headset.

9to5Mac's Guilherme Rambo showed how the iOS 13.0 gold master and iOS 13.1 beta releases contain Apple's "StarBoard" system shell to run AR apps as well. According to Smith, the code suggests that rendering could be handled on the iPhone itself, and the use of an additional gamepad/motion control device.

Apple's plans for augmented or virtual reality went unmentioned during today's iPhone event, along with other rumored announcements like a new Apple TV or ultra-wideband location Tags. Still, the leftover notes suggest that it could've been a late scratch, or perhaps that something new is, as rumored, around the corner for next year.