Apple Reportedly Has Small Team Working on Augmented Reality Projects

MacRumors · Mar 18, 2015

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster claims in a note to investors that Apple has a small team working in and exploring the augmented reality field. Munster believes that while augmented reality is still a decade away from broader consumer adoption, Apple is preparing for the next evolution in computing and will be able to offer fashionable wearables that people will actually want to wear.

"While it is limited, we believe Apple has a small team of engineers exploring augmented reality applications. We believe that at the core, the group is likely trying to understand a wearable interface that design would ultimately make fashionable/socially acceptable. At this point, we believe it is difficult to determine if or when these experiments might yield a product."

Google Glass is perhaps the most notable example of a wearable that, while revolutionary in many aspects, created some uncomfortable situations for those wearing the device in public. Glass Explorer Edition was quick to be banned from several public establishments, including movie theaters, casinos, restaurants, hospitals, sports venues, schools, banks and more due to its ability to discreetly take photos and record videos.

Munster remains skeptical about whether Apple's focus on augmented reality will result in a future product, as it is common for the company to research and develop new products and technologies that are never released to the public. Munster also has a less than impressive track record at divulging Apple's upcoming plans, so his predictions should be treated with a proverbial grain of salt.

Apple began allowing developers to release augmented reality apps on the App Store nearly six years ago, such as Google's mystery game Ingress. Apple also began exploring augmented reality for Maps in 2011, corroborated by a March 2014 report claiming that the iPhone maker still plans to add augmented reality features to Maps. Based on Munster's comments, Apple appears to remain interested in the field.

Article Link: Apple Reportedly Has Small Team Working on Augmented Reality Projects

tevion5 · Mar 18, 2015

To enable people to live in a reality where the Apple Watch is worth buying.

Z400Racer37 · Mar 18, 2015

iGlasses? lolz #

I hope they figure out a way to make custom sized OLED lenses together with custom frames... ######

samcraig · Mar 18, 2015

I look forward to Apple releasing their augmented reality hardware and everyone debating who did it first, who made it popular and who makes the most money off of it.

Oh good times lie ahead, MR.

LordVic · Mar 18, 2015

yes! get on it! I love the very concept of AR! So excited for Microsoft HoloLens, The more companies working on this sort of tech the better for all our futures!

Just don't make this "for iPhone only"

BMcCoy · Mar 18, 2015

*shrug*

I would hope/expect that Apple have small teams working on lots of tech projects...

Doesn't mean they will ever see production as an Apple product.

AppleScruff1 · Mar 18, 2015

samcraig said:
I look forward to Apple releasing their augmented reality hardware and everyone debating who did it first, who made it popular and who makes the most money off of it.

Oh good times lie ahead, MR.

I think there are already some who live in an Apple augmented reality.

PRSGuitarist · Mar 18, 2015

tevion5 said:
To enable people to live in a reality where the Apple Watch is worth buying.

Hm.. My glasses must have some of this functionality built in, because I already live in that world.

iamkarlp · Mar 18, 2015

Assuming the article is correct... I'm glad they have no intentions of doing anything soon and they aren't aggressively pushing for anything either.

Google released far-to-early in the product development lifecycle, as I believe they are coming to readily admit.

Microsoft has a very interesting product, however both it's strength and weakness is that it is not intended for general every-day use so much as a tool to solve specific problems at both home and work.

It's a space that will likely take another 4 to 5 years to even understand, much-less design a marketable product for.

Patience is a virtue.

Karl P

FieldingMellish · Mar 18, 2015

First give me a map that gets me where I want to go. Then augment reality all you want.

DaveN · Mar 18, 2015

So with Google you are a gl*******. If Apple does the same thing would you be an apphole or an ihole? I don't see them doing a Google glass-type product. Maybe something like a VR headset but not Google Glass.

samcraig · Mar 18, 2015

FieldingMellish said:
First give me a map that gets me where I want to go. Then augment reality all you want.

They are already providing you alternative reality - this is just a slight word change!

AppleScruff1 · Mar 18, 2015

iamkarlp said:
Assuming the article is correct... I'm glad they have no intentions of doing anything soon and they aren't aggressively pushing for anything either.

Google released far-to-early in the product development lifecycle, as I believe they are coming to readily admit.

Microsoft has a very interesting product, however both it's strength and weakness is that it is not intended for general every-day use so much as a tool to solve specific problems at both home and work.

It's a space that will likely take another 4 to 5 years to even understand, much-less design a marketable product for.

Patience is a virtue.

Karl P

Without early releases and taking chances things would seldom get off the ground. There are always pioneers.

LordVic · Mar 18, 2015

iamkarlp said:
Assuming the article is correct... I'm glad they have no intentions of doing anything soon and they aren't aggressively pushing for anything either.

Google released far-to-early in the product development lifecycle, as I believe they are coming to readily admit.

Microsoft has a very interesting product, however both it's strength and weakness is that it is not intended for general every-day use so much as a tool to solve specific problems at both home and work.

It's a space that will likely take another 4 to 5 years to even understand, much-less design a marketable product for.

Patience is a virtue.

Karl P

I'm not entirely sure thats true. Microsoft has been showcasing HoloLense in use with Minecraft, implies to me they have more everday uses in mind (whether or not it materializes that way).

And a birdy tells me to expect them to dive full on with the project.

cambookpro · Mar 18, 2015

MacRumors said:
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster...

Genuinely stopped reading there.

winston1236 · Mar 18, 2015

A better article would be which company isn't working on an Augmented Reality something these days.

DevNull0 · Mar 18, 2015

FieldingMellish said:
First give me a map that gets me where I want to go. Then augment reality all you want.

And a web browser that doesn't crash 22 times a day would be nice. At this point I'd be happy if they could make one for iOS or OSX is both is too much to ask.

They keep spreading the R&D all over the place when their core products are turning to crap.

lewisd25 · Mar 18, 2015

Augmented reality won't be successful if the user has to wear a device on their head. When the day comes that a computerized system could be small enough to be integrated into contact lenses...only then will augmented reality take off.

troop231 · Mar 18, 2015

I want Augmented Reality Distortion Field. Would be great for business and product pitches at meetings.

TheSlush · Mar 18, 2015

At a quick glance, seeing an article titled "Apple has team working on…" with a picture of Google Glass next to it just makes me throw up a little in my mouth.

8CoreWhore · Mar 18, 2015

"...we believe..."

brianvictor7 · Mar 18, 2015

We all know this is coming. Question is how fast?

Piggie · Mar 18, 2015

lewisd25 said:
Augmented reality won't be successful if the user has to wear a device on their head. When the day comes that a computerized system could be small enough to be integrated into contact lenses...only then will augmented reality take off.

Don't agree.

That's like saying Pong / Space invaders will never be popular until Crysis comes out.
You own, use and enjoy whatever the technology of the day allows.

D.T. · Mar 18, 2015

iamkarlp said:
Google released far-to-early in the product development lifecycle, as I believe they are coming to readily admit.

I'd say that Google - by design - lightly stepped into this space knowing they were ahead of any critical mass, it was a tech trial more than anything.

LordVic said:
I'm not entirely sure thats true. Microsoft has been showcasing HoloLense in use with Minecraft, implies to me they have more everday uses in mind (whether or not it materializes that way).

And a birdy tells me to expect them to dive full on with the project.

Definitely. We've had conversations with MS, Sony, Oculus, and they are full-steam-ahead. The hardware is looking amazing too: major players and even "smaller" companies building some VR/AR gear that is pretty mind blowing (a number of NDAs prevent any specific disclosure on my part, just think glasses vs. goggles, massively increased rendering power in a highly reduced package size).

If anyone attended GDC this year, it was pretty clear the amount of momentum in the VR space (heading towards consumer adoption).

lowercaseperson · Mar 18, 2015

MacRumors said:
Glass Explorer Edition was quick to be banned from several public establishments, including movie theaters, casinos, restaurants, hospitals, sports venues, schools, banks and more due to its ability to discreetly take photos and record videos.

While I understand the sentiment, it is extremely easy to "discreetly" take photos and videos on any phone these days. Put your phone in a chest pocket and add just about any smart watch and there you have it.

Obviously the reason it's banned is because it freaks people out having such a blatant camera visible - it's interesting to me the way so many people/companies justify it...as if nobody ever discreetly takes video with their iPhone...

Apple Reportedly Has Small Team Working on Augmented Reality Projects

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