Apple's Interest in Augmented Reality Technology Continues at CES 2019

[MacRumors]

AppleInsider reports that Apple engineers and key personnel were continuing to show interest in AR (Augmented Reality) technology companies at this year's Consumer Electronics Show.

More than half a dozen incognito Apple representatives, including employees of known subsidiaries, visited AR waveguide suppliers like DigiLens, Lumus, Vuzix and WaveOptics at CES 2019, according to a person with knowledge of the meetings.

Apple has been known to be interested in AR / VR technology for years with reports of hundreds of employees working on the technology. Tim Cook notably said in 2017 that the technology to do AR glasses in a "quality way" didn't yet exist, indicating that they would wait until Apple could deliver the best experience.

Rumors of an Apple AR Headset reignited when a report in April of 2018 suggested that a headset was actively being developed with a launch target of 2020. Since that rumor, it was revealed that Apple had also purchased Akonia Holographics, a startup that makes lenses for augmented reality glasses.

Article Link: Apple's Interest in Augmented Reality Technology Continues at CES 2019

 

[Frign]

Apple is too late to that party. And even if they weren't, refusing to sell proper hardware for this job will make this a continued impossibility.

 

[ipponrg]

VR was kind of a flop as predicted. AR on the other hand might be interesting if it’s non intrusive. Unfortunately, other than having lens implanted in your retina, who would want to wear lens/glasses if they didn’t have to?

 

[PickUrPoison]

Apple is too late to that party. And even if they weren't, refusing to sell proper hardware for this job will make this a continued impossibility.

Not at all. This is exactly what Apple does so successfully: spend 5+ years doing intense R&D and developing a winning product that they release when it’s ready.

 

[miniyou64]

Apple stopped caring about “quality experiences” when Steve Jobs died

 

[YaBe]

VR was kind of a flop as predicted. AR on the other hand might be interesting if it’s non intrusive. Unfortunately, other than having lens implanted in your retina, who would want to wear lens/glasses if they didn’t have to?

Well some people that were not wearing watches started just to have the tech, I can see a lot of people wearing glasses / lenses just for the tech in it.

Also with the new trend of blocking blue light, a lot of people with no need for glasses started to put them on with no presciption but with just the filter.

You'd be amazed what a youngster can put up with just to have the "new toy in town".


VR. is doing fine in gaming, where it belongs, people are just waiting for better resolution, and better HW to cope with it .

Apple stopped caring about “quality experiences” when Steve Jobs died

Sad, but really true.

 

[Cosmosent]

Where are ALL the cool AR apps Cook promised ???

Someone @ AAPL forget to tell Cook that AR apps need LOTS of DRAM to run effectively !

Oops !

 

[ds2000]

VR. is doing fine in gaming, where it belongs, people are just waiting for better resolution, and better HW to cope with it .

Sad, but really true.

Completely agree. I landed a PSVR deal just after Christmas, kit and camera for $190 (170e / 160gbp) - I was expecting to try it and punt it after a few days but it's absolutely brilliant. Games like Robot Rescue, Moss, Firewall Zero are brilliant. My girlfriend who isn't a gamer at all absolutely loves Robot Rescue. The tech needs time to mature but thus far, it's brilliant fun.

I have a friend that works with Aston Martin and they are using VR to showcase their new models. It can be seen on the Valkyrie specification videos that have gone up in the last week.

 

[Marekul]

Completely agree. I landed a PSVR deal just after Christmas, kit and camera for $190 (170e / 160gbp) - I was expecting to try it and punt it after a few days but it's absolutely brilliant. Games like Robot Rescue, Moss, Firewall Zero are brilliant. My girlfriend who isn't a gamer at all absolutely loves Robot Rescue. The tech needs time to mature but thus far, it's brilliant fun.

I have a friend that works with Aston Martin and they are using VR to showcase their new models. It can be seen on the Valkyrie specification videos that have gone up in the last week.

Yeah but where is apple in that? They have that AR app to place Dinosauriers into the scene... or was that only the ad?
Seriously they don’t even have any AR accessories and they want to be leading in AR? Am I missing something?
[doublepost=1548661487][/doublepost]

Completely agree. I landed a PSVR deal just after Christmas, kit and camera for $190 (170e / 160gbp) - I was expecting to try it and punt it after a few days but it's absolutely brilliant. Games like Robot Rescue, Moss, Firewall Zero are brilliant. My girlfriend who isn't a gamer at all absolutely loves Robot Rescue. The tech needs time to mature but thus far, it's brilliant fun.

I have a friend that works with Aston Martin and they are using VR to showcase their new models. It can be seen on the Valkyrie specification videos that have gone up in the last week.

What hardware do they use?

 

[mi7chy]

AR was a novelty that died ~2012. Guess Tim Cook wants to revive it and be known as the father of AR like Al Gore is the father of the internet.

For VR to take off it needs to be much less bulky so not much more than sun glasses and more affordable.

 

[YaBe]

Yeah but where is apple in that?

As Apple is really not that into gaming.... VR for them is not as important as say Sony....they are more into AR, but really starting late.

They will definetly release something cool, but pricey

AR died in 2012. Guess Tim Cook wants to be known as the father of AR like Al Gore is the father of the internet.

I think it isn't born yet! We just had a glance at it, and the most useless part of it as of yet.

 

[bladerunner2000]

Apple sells garbage hardware. Until that changes, nothing in AR or VR will ever be feasible on a Mac.

 

[YaBe]

If they are really thinking about a new iPod, it could be the right device to experiment VR / AR for gaming, and give people a reason to buy the device.

It could be tailored at gaming and showcase what the 2020 iPhone could be like, like a testbed.

An iPod dedicated to gamers, with accessory (Apple like to sell those) to make it a VR gaming ssysstem (like a Google Cartboard) and a controller... price it at 300$ and people will buy it!

With the right HW it could compete with the switch, as USB C would allow them to dock the device and use the gaming also on the TV.

 

[mi7chy]

I think it isn't born yet!

AR is forever dead if it's not hands free.

 

[ds2000]

AR was a novelty that died ~2012. Guess Tim Cook wants to revive it and be known as the father of AR like Al Gore is the father of the internet.

For VR to take off it needs to be much less bulky so not much more than sun glasses and more affordable.

It's a good point about the hardware. Again with the PSVR I believe there are now over 4m units sold worldwide. That's a good start and hopefully the money from it will go towards improving and shrinking hardware. It's early days.

 

[nikaru]

Apple is too late to that party. And even if they weren't, refusing to sell proper hardware for this job will make this a continued impossibility.

Too late? For what? There is not a single mainstream AR product out there. We have only seen apps and few gadgets as HUDs and Google Glass that take advtanage in some way or form from AR. Other than that, it is pretty much unexplored market. Apple is obviously looking for the breakthrough technology that will convert AR in something actually useful and meaningful, rather be only a gimmick to show some cool tricks.
[doublepost=1548664689][/doublepost]

AR was a novelty that died ~2012. Guess Tim Cook wants to revive it and be known as the father of AR like Al Gore is the father of the internet.

For VR to take off it needs to be much less bulky so not much more than sun glasses and more affordable.

I think Google Glass-like product could be what they are actually cooking in their labs. If they are able to overcome all cons, it could be a bad-ass product. I wear glasses all day everyday and having an Apple Watch functionality in the frame of my glasses could be super cool. VR is cool for some casual gaming and mastubating with VR porn.
[doublepost=1548665055][/doublepost]

VR was kind of a flop as predicted. AR on the other hand might be interesting if it’s non intrusive. Unfortunately, other than having lens implanted in your retina, who would want to wear lens/glasses if they didn’t have to?

In the summer, almost everyone wear glasses. In some regions as California where Apple is headquarterd wearing some kind of eyes protection is mandatory for almost 9 months of the year. And then there are the people with prescription glasses. So there is a huge market of people already wearing glasses most of the time. In any case, Apple should implement some very cool technologies in its AR headset in order to make someone who is not usually wearing glasses to wear these.

 

[ksec]

I still don't see how AR or VR will change anything. Apart from Gaming.

When ever Tim Cook said / trying to make something looks exciting, i become very skeptical of it.

1. He is not a product person, not by Apple Standards.
2. He is not a sales person, he tries very hard but he cant sell, at least not in the high bar Steve Sets.
3. He is not an evangelist, although he tries to be one for privacy, and green peace.

He said the "next song" for Apple Music means so much. There were lots of video showing that, I am not convinced then, and I am not sure if he was convinced either. Few years in it was crap, and it didn't work.

He tries to be friendly with Indian and India culture during a visit to India, watching cricket with excitement, well it was a boring match by any standards. And he got questioned on the Indian TV show.

Basically he is not very good with these things, but that is partly because Steve has set the bar so high that no one can reach.

In the opening video of Steve Jobs theatre, Steve Jobs speech about what is keeping Apple, Apple, it is if we keep us, us.

Tim will just need to be himself. Stop talking about product, and no need to tries to be that CEO, you are the best COO on the planet. Forget about the title, you don't have to do any these.

 

[briko]

Not at all. This is exactly what Apple does so successfully: spend 5+ years doing intense R&D and developing a winning product that they release when it’s ready.

Oh, you mean like they did with the last Mac Pro? I read they put a lot of R&D into that.

Honestly though, there was a time when I felt the same way as you. But I’m starting to realize that this new Apple is different than the one I used to know.

For example, look at the Apple TV and its wasted potential as a gaming platform. I was really hoping it would take off, but Apple gimped the launch by forcing that awful remote as the controller input. Somehow, all of their R&D and focus testing didn’t save them from that mistake. In addition to the bad user experience, it was really off-putting to the developer community. Apple eventually ended up rolling back the requirement, but the damage was already done.

 

[racerhomie]

Apple stopped caring about “quality experiences” when Steve Jobs died

Have you even tried on Apple Watch & AirPods ? The Magical delight still remains !

 

[Classie]

AR Will be the next big thing - give it a couple of years. Google or Apple will crack the code.

 

[44267547]

For VR to take off it needs to be much less bulky so not much more than sun glasses and more affordable.

Except, it’s been rumored multiple times that Apple is working on some type of VR for glasses, which obviously I don’t think would be any time soon yet. Not to mention, anytime ’New tech’ is released, it always carries a premium price. It’s not just Apple either, the competitors carry expensive prices with their products, in the same respect like LG did with their first OLED TV that was exorbitantly priced.

 

[dilbert99]

Not at all. This is exactly what Apple does so successfully: spend 5+ years doing intense R&D and developing a winning product that they release when it’s ready.

I can't see Apple bringing out an AR (or VR) headset, it would be a niche product that I don't see a story that Apple could tell as to why Apple customers should buy it.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Oh, you mean like they did with the last Mac Pro? I read they put a lot of R&D into that.

Honestly though, there was a time when I felt the same way as you. But I’m starting to realize that this new Apple is different than the one I used to know.

For example, look at the Apple TV and its wasted potential as a gaming platform. I was really hoping it would take off, but Apple gimped the launch by forcing that awful remote as the controller input. Somehow, all of their R&D and focus testing didn’t save them from that mistake. In addition to the bad user experience, it was really off-putting to the developer community. Apple eventually ended up rolling back the requirement, but the damage was already done.

No, I’m not talking about incremental updates to existing products. Think iPod, iPhone, iPad, Watch. Late to cell phones? To digital music players? To tablets? Apple takes their time and releases when they decide they’re ready. HomePod, AirPower, sure, put the 2019 Mac Pro in there if you want.

 

[jeremiah256]

WWDC 2019: iPad Pro plus Adobe’s Photoshop and Project Aero equals putting some sweet AR capabilities in the hands of a lot of people. Really excited to see what happens.

 

[PJL500]

talk about being late to the party... Apple, the anti-innovation company.