Apple CEO Tim Cook is a fan of augmented reality. He has made no secret that he thinks he will truncate virtual reality, even saying that the use of RA will eventually be as common as "eating three meals a day."
Today, we've gotten more from Apple's boss in what he thinks of AR, and while we're still waiting for a particular device that projects digital images in the real world from the iPhone maker, it seems like it's just a matter of Now.
Cook talked to The Independent during his visit to the UK this week, and in the interview Cook said he prefers AR about VR because "it allows people to be present in the world but hopefully it will allow an improvement in what is happening now" .
"Most people do not want to shut themselves out of the world for a long period of time and today they can not do it because they get sick for it," Cook said about VR. "With AR you can not be absorbed in something, but be part of your world, your conversation, that resonates."
In particular, Cook probably compared AR with the largest consumer electronic device on the planet:
"I see it as a great idea as the smartphone," he said. "The smartphone is for everyone, we do not have to think that the iPhone is about a particular market, demographic, national or vertical: it's for everyone, I think AR is so big, it's huge."
"I'm thrilled by the things that could be done to improve many lives and be entertaining," continued Cook. "I see AR as I see the silicon here on my iPhone, it's not a product per se, it's a basic technology."
Hints for Apple's future in the AR
Once again, Cook has talked about his enthusiasm for AR before, so there is no new revelation there. But dig a little deeper, and we have some clues on how Apple could approach the technology, if ever.
Cook sounds eager for AR to be both useful and enjoyable, perhaps with applications for education, medicine and the workplace, along with leisure activities such as games. It also seems to prefer something with transparent lenses, similar to Microsoft HoloLens, which allows users to stay committed to what is happening around them while interacting with an AR overlay.
Or maybe as 9to5Mac points out, Apple really is not working on a new device at all, but rather developing more AR functions for the iPhone.
"I think there may be a lot of things that really help people in everyday life, things in real life, that's why I feel so excited," Cook told The Independent. What is more prevalent in our daily lives than our smartphones?
Will Apple Launch AR technology simliar to Google Tango?
The iPhone 8 is rumored to have AR capabilities, including adding 3D effects to photos, and we can see Apple developing AR technology similar to Google's Tango for phones and tablets, or the Daydream mobile VR platform.
Going on this route would allow Apple to dive into AR without having to build, market and sell a brand new product. In addition, Cook said he sees AR as a core technology, similar to silicon in a phone, suggesting that the AR iPhone could be applied to other categories, such as tablets, computers and TV.
All of this is certainly possible, although a recent report from VR / AR evangelist Robert Scoble, quoting sources "at the highest levels," points to the technology giant joining Carl Zeiss to develop augmented reality glasses and a VR / AR standalone device has been rumored to be under development at Apple for some time. Cook, of course, could be talking about smart glasses or another AR device as well.
Whatever Apple is working behind the scenes, it is likely to be some time before we see it in an official capacity. Cook ended his interview with a warning that there is still a way to go before AR is "good enough for the mainstream," suggesting Apple, as it usually does, will not launch a product until technology has reached a certain level Of maturity.
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