This week, Apple held a major event to update the world on their latest products running on the latest technology, but the company didn’t utter a word about its involvement on AR/VR platform. Their act made very clear that they don’t want to enter the fray.
It’s way too early for Apple to jump into the illusionistic world of AR/VR game. It was made clear on stage when they launched the latest iPhone 7 and the Apple Watch Series 2. Given the size of the AR/VR space in the market today and its practical applications for a broad group of users and it is way too early for the company to execute any plan.
But, that doesn’t mean that Apple is not working on virtual reality instead the company is dedicated in acquiring the best possible development expertise for its sizeable operation which is dedicated to explore the potential application. But that doesn’t mean Apple isn’t actively engaged in AR/VR research and development.
Apple in 2014, was spotted in hiring an ‘apple engineer’ who would create apps that would integrate with Virtual reality systems and a month later, the company made 4 additional hires which includes a ‘VR/AR programmer’ too. Apple also hired Doug Bowman as the Director of the Center for Human-Computer Interaction for Virginia Tech, who is an influential figure in the VR world.
Apple’s has purchased augmented reality firm Metaio in 2015 and the company has made a debut of AR and computer-vision related acquisitions. It has already done the work on marker-less facial mapping and animation. And they also made facial expression recognition & done analysis.
What do you do when your biggest competitors—who also happen to be among the largest tech companies in the world—are all working on AR/VR tech? Well, you better get there too. If AR and VR catch on, the products with those features are the ones that customers will choose.
Apple has also watched over the past few years as the like Samsung, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, Intel, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon VR 820, who has made initiatives in VR. It is way too early, but, the evidence is clear that Apple is working hard on AR/VR technology and we will see in the near future.
