by Samra Anees
Trusted Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, predicted that Apple’s augmented reality (AR) glasses are going to hit the market soon—maybe even by the end of this year. Currently, the AR glasses market is dominated by Microsoft and Magic Leap. This blog explores what Apple’s new offering means for the company and for the future of AR.
Augmented Reality Has Been in the Works by Apple
It’s no secret that Apple has been interested in the augmented reality field—it has also been known to have been working on these glasses since November 2017. However, CEO Tim Cook said that technology was not sophisticated enough at the time to support AR headsets. Cook felt that the current AR headsets have very limited offerings.
Even though Apple has not yet come out with the augmented reality headsets, it would make sense to believe that they are coming soon—especially because iPhones already support augmented reality-enabled apps. The addition of an AR headset is not too far out.
Apple’s AR Glasses Will Be iPhone Dependent
The anticipated AR headsets are said to be dependent on Apple iPhones, fully reliant on the phone to run. The glasses will essentially be an iPhone accessory while the phone takes care of the processing and rendering.
Use Cases for AR Glasses Go Beyond Consumers
Microsoft and Magic Leap still own the AR glasses space, although their prices are astronomical. Apple’s AR glasses, however, are predicted to make the technology mainstream for the common user and also be lighter and more wearable than existing AR headsets. Others, such as Atheer, are providing a reference model for AR glasses and there are more use cases emerging.
One of the big areas for augmented reality is in service and training. Automobile manufacturers are looking to AR to provide remote service, where an expert can look over the shoulder of the onsite tech. Look for more adoption of AR in the enterprise sector — Apple’s launch will provide more air-time for AR overall.
Bottom Line
Apple needs some new product hits and while augmented reality is an area that hasn’t infiltrated the mainstream market yet, we’re not sure if augmented reality glasses are really the next big thing.