Apple is all set to follow the mob into Virtual Reality Business as a potentially lucrative alternative for generating revenues apart from the iPhone flagship. The company is also said to have gathered a rather large and skilled team to build prototypes in Virtual and augmented reality which may in future pose competition to opponents such as Facebook’s Oculus Rift and Microsoft’s HoloLens.
The team of experts is believed to have been secured from a series of crafty acquisitions and deriving workforce from companies already working on Virtual Reality from various tech giants. Flyby media is Apple’s latest acquisition, a Virtual and Augmented Reality startup which confirms its ambitions in the Virtual Reality market. The company is currently working on a project which develops technology that enables mobile phones to “see” or analyze the surroundings. Flyby media has also earlier worked with Google in ‘Project Tango.’
Apple CEO, Tim Cook
Apple joining the bandwagon in the Silicon Valley has started focusing on VR, developing prototypes of headsets of various configurations for several months. As per sources, Apple has hired Doug Bowman, one of the leading VR researchers. Tim Cook, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Apple declared that the technology has a wide appeal with many interesting and innovative applications. The technology could possible rekindle Apple’s revenues as Mr. Cook said that iPhone sales growth had shown a halt.
Back in 2000’s, Apple experimented with VR headsets under co-founder Steve Jobs and filed patents for alleged devices before they were abandoned as a project deeming it to be immature. And now after oculus emerged with its impressive Oculus Rift headset, Apple’s interest has been reignited which could possibly make Apple Inc. a potentially fit rival to companies working on Virtual Reality such as Facebook, Google, HTC, Samsung and Microsoft.
