Apple CEO Tim Cook has confirmed that the company is working on augmented reality technology, potentially competing with the Microsoft HoloLens in developing an AR platform.
Speaking to the Washington Post, Cook was asked whether or not Apple was looking into AR or VR with him admitting that Apple had a particular interest in augmented reality. He said: “I think AR is extremely interesting and sort of a core technology. So, yes, it’s something we’re doing a lot of things on behind that curtain that we talked about.”
Though Cook didn’t provide any further details in regards to what Apple is planning in this particular field, it is the first confirmation from the tech giant that they are actively developing technology related to AR. Whether or not Apple are focusing upon AR software or hardware such as the HoloLens remains to be seen, but Apple’s involvement is another indicator that AR isn’t merely a flash-in-the-pan experiment for the tech industry’s heavy hitters.
Tim Cook recently expressed his appreciation for the quasi-AR game Pokemon Go in an earnings call, saying that Apple is “investing a lot” in augmented reality. In the call, in which he erroneously referred to the pocket monsters as “Pokemans,” he said that Apple is “high on AR for the long run,” adding: “We think there’s great things for customers and a great commercial opportunity. So we’re investing.”
It remains to be seen what that investment will be, though Apple certainly has the financial clout to propel the technology into a variety of interesting places. The company will make their next major product announcements during the iPhone 7 unveiling later this year, so we could perhaps see an early example of how they are incorporating AR into their product line-up during this event.
