“Despite being a relatively small and young industry, the market for virtual reality and augmented reality-based devices already has a wide variety of different designs to choose from,” Malcolm Owen writes for Malcolm Owen. “Rumors and speculation from analysts point to Apple entering the VR or AR marketplace in the next few years, but aside from some patent filings, it is unknown what exactly to expect from the iPhone producer’s fabled hardware. As a premium device producer in multiple markets, looking at the better and more popular headsets on the market could provide some indication of how Apple’s version could turn out. ”
“What route is Apple likely to follow? Given Apple’s nature of creating mass-consumer products, the current room-scale system with a separate host is probably out of the question. An easier to use headset closer to the Oculus Go is more likely, reducing the barrier for entry down to a financial transaction rather than technical knowledge,” Owen writes. “Apple also has the benefit of extensive integration knowledge and its control over both the software for the device, the firmware, and the entire manufacturing pipeline.”
“Given Apple’s history of focusing on the user experience, it could be a long wait before consumers get to try out an Apple-produced AR headset. Current estimates from Loup Ventures analyst and Apple observer Gene Munster suggests such hardware could arrive by 2021,” Owen writes. “In the meantime, anyone wanting to have an Apple-driven AR experience will have to settle with apps running ARKit on their iPhone or iPad.”
Tons more in the full article – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple will change everything yet again.
Stylish eyewear that actually delivers useful data to wearers is potentially a huge market and Apple is exactly the company to deliver just such a wearable. — MacDailyNews, January 25, 2017
Augmented Reality is going to change everything. — MacDailyNews, July 21, 2017
Someday, hopefully sooner than later, we’ll look back at holding up slabs of metal and glass to access AR as unbelievably quaint. — MacDailyNews, July 28, 2017
The impact of augmented reality cannot be overstated. It will be a paradigm shift larger than the iPhone and the half-assed clones it begat. — MacDailyNews, August 4, 2017
SEE ALSO:
Golfshot introduces Golfscape AR augmented reality feature exclusive to Apple’s iOS devices – May 31, 2018
Shopify uses Apple’s ARKit to bring augmented reality to e-commerce – February 16, 2018
Apple acquires Canadian augmented reality headset startup Vrvana – November 21, 2017
Apple working on augmented reality headset running ‘rOS’ to ship as early as 2020 – November 8, 2017
Apple’s AR smartglasses – understanding the issues – August 29, 2017
Bernstein: Apple’s ‘smartglasses’ opportunity ‘could be enormous’ – August 25, 2017
Apple working on several prototypes of AR glasses – August 4, 2017
Apple’s next big move: Augmented reality – August 3, 2017
Apple’s rumored new glasses will be an even bigger deal than the iPhone – July 28, 2017
Apple smart glasses are inevitable – July 28, 2017
New app using Apple’s ARKit lets iPhone recreate 16 weeks of painstaking rotoscoping on the fly – July 27, 2017
Gene Munster: Apple Glasses will soon outshine the iPhone – June 28, 2017
Gene Munster: Expect Apple smart glasses in mid-2020 – June 27, 2017
Augmented Reality: Apple’s revolutionary offering leaves Google’s Android woefully behind – June 26, 2017
Apple’s AR is much closer to reality than Google’s – June 26, 2017
UBS: Apple may eventually launch ‘iGlass’ smart glasses – June 20, 2017
IKEA’s forthcoming Augmented Reality furniture app powered by Apple’s ARKit – June 19, 2017
Apple’s single most important WWDC 2017 announcement: ARKit – June 11, 2017
Apple CEO Cook discusses philosophy behind HomePod, ARKit’s potential market impact – June 6, 2017
Overnight, Apple will own the world’s largest augmented reality platform – June 7, 2017
Analysts: Apple’s Corning investment hints at AR glasses and wireless charging tech – May 14, 2017
Apple awards Corning $200 million in first Advanced Manufacturing Fund investment – May 12, 2017
Leaked document details Apple employee eye injuries, hints at Apple AR glasses – April 20, 2017
Apple began working on augmented reality glasses more than a year ago, sources say – March 27, 2017
Apple is working on several AR products, including glasses, but first in iPhone, sources say – March 20, 2017
Why Apple will make smart glasses – January 25, 2017
Wall Street has never given any indication Apple is about to take over the AR/VR headset market. Usually any company that’s about to dominate a market rises in value considerably. Apple is still just the iPhone company where the smartphone market is saturated. Apple’s P/E is still range-bound and nowhere’s close to FANG stock valuation. Even the weakest of the FANG stocks which is Facebook has a P/E of 30 and that’s right after a data-breach scandal.
Unfortunately, no one on Wall Street recognizes Apple’s future domination of AR/VR or investors would be piling into Apple like crazy. That’s certainly not happening and probably never will. So far, Apple’s venture into AR isn’t worth a penny to anyone. AR on Apple devices is turning into another Siri. By 2021, it’s likely Google or Microsoft will be miles ahead of Apple in AR/VR headsets.
Funny, three years ago Wall Street had never given any indications that Apple would OWN the wearables market.
Following the gospel of Wall Street is a sure way to lose money.
AR will be a huge boom and Apple will dominate. I see every major enterprise business embracing AR. Making our reality “smarter” and more data enriched seems like a no brainer for businesses.
VR seems a bit more ethereal and tied to consumer trends and tastes. Hard to tell if it its a killer app or a fleeting trend. It’s cool but seems more like video games.
In a nutshell, I told my VR students, complete VR is bulky and kludgy because it must take sensory data from the environment, transform it into 3D, and coordinate it into a sensory room in which the user is totally immersed. People sometimes get sick like on a ship if the program is not developed right.
AR is where some sensory data is seen in a device such as a fighter pilot’s helmet. Simple AR is like PokeMon or Apple Maps or goggles on whose screen is, for example, projected a rendering of the engine and instructions for repair. So I see AR as the cheaper and tailored for consumers which is Apple’s focus, not the Pentagon.
OH, BS. Oculus has a lock on advanced VR. Apple is as close as Alpha Centari to that market.
Funny, three years ago nobody thought Apple had a chance in the wearables market…
Which they now own.