Is Apple working on a virtual, or augmented, reality device? Recent comments made by Apple CEO Tim Cook, along with a report claiming that Apple is developing augmented reality glasses point towards a brand new wearable.
There are multiple rumours that Apple is developing a virtual reality (VR), or augmented reality (AR) device, going back well over a year. Is Apple making a VR headset, and what would an Apple VR headset look like? If the Apple VR device is real, when can we expect an Apple virtual reality device to be announced? In this feature, we are going to look at all the latest Apple VR rumours, patents and leaked images – including the remarks that Tim Cook made during an interview in October 2016.
There’s no smoke without fire, and Apple has filed patents and hired VR experts. So Apple is clearly investigating, and building prototype VR or AR devices. And with Google, Microsoft and even Facebook also making VR and AR devices, it seems like it’s a party Apple can’t afford to miss.
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Apple VR: What is virtual and augmented reality?
First, a quick refresher on terms. Virtual reality devices are headsets worn like glasses, but inside a VR headset are screens that display a 3D image. The VR headset tracks your head movement, and the 3D image moves according. This makes it appear as if you are wholly inside a 3D ‘virtual’ world.
Virtual reality hit the headlines in the 1990s when video games companies like Sega and Nintendo attempted to create and sell VR products to the public. The technology wasn’t ready then, but a more recent attempt called The Rift developed by Oculus VR in 2012 was developed with modern 3D technology and development has been wowing people ever since. Eventually, FaceBook bought Oculus VR in 2014 for over $2b, and the VR headset is now available to buy in the UK.
Augmented reality, on the other hand, is where the glasses are see-through and you can still see the world around you, but an image is displayed in front of your eyes. Augmented reality also hit the headlines in recent years, first thanks to Google Glass (which displays 2D images) and more recently with an impressive demonstration by Microsoft for an upcoming product it is calling Hololens that embeds 3D images in the world around you.
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Meanwhile, a rather mysterious company called Magic Leap is also working on a headset utilising Mixed Reality Digital Lightfields, allowing the headset to generate contextual digital lightfield content that can interact with the world around you. Not much is known about the company, and it’s said that only a handful of people have actually seen the headset – but judging by demo showcased by the company (which can be seen below), it’s looks impressive to say the least.
Apple is known to be a trailblazer, but it’s still part of the Silicon Valley tech industry (albeit a more secretive one). If Google, Facebook and Microsoft are all working on VR and AR solutions, you can be your bottom dollar that Apple also has a prototype in its labs.
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Source: Macworld UK