Up until now, Apple has been shy about its plans to step foot into the world of augmented reality.
But earlier this June, Apple CEO Tim Cook finally revealed to the world what the company plans to do with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Speaking at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Cook spoke of an ambitious new agenda to bring AR to iPads and iPhones and VR to its Mac computers.
With the announcement, Apple is jumping into waters already crowded by comparable behemoths, namely Google, Facebook, and Microsoft. All three of these companies started dabbling in VR and AR seemingly long ago. But Cnet writer Sean Hollister says Apple may already be ahead of the game.
A major reason why is because the AR tech that Apple unveiled at WWDC already has a vast number of devices owned by consumers that can run it. Hollister writes, “While not every recent iPhone or iPad will be able to run AR apps, millions upon millions are already eligible — and presumably, every new iPhone and iPad from here on out. ”
Meanwhile, Google needs special (and more costly) phones that can run its VR/AR technology. But manufacturers are not too keen on creating the phones which require Google’s Tango sensor to be built in, or on having to sell more expensive phones in the marketplace.
That said, Apple isn’t racing to bring its AR offerings to consumers. “For us, it’s never been about being first to anything,” Cook told Bloomberg. “We didn’t have the first MP3 player. We didn’t have the first smartphone. We didn’t have the first tablet. It’s not about being first. It’s about being the best.”
Can’t argue with that.
Check out some videos from Apple’s presentation at WWDC below.
Daniel White for TechFunnel.com
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