Apple is known for keeping its cards close to its chest when it comes to upcoming products, so CEO Tim Cook’s comments this week surprised many observers.
record an interview with China Daily USA, Cook gave the clearest hint yet that Apple is working on a high-tech headset.
About AR technology, Cook said, “Stay tuned and you’ll see what we have to offer.”
Yeah, that was about it, but to Cook that says a lot. It’s funny that he actually said:kind of stay tuned…” as if he couldn’t bring himself to be emphatic about it, because that’s not the Apple way.
Rumors of Apple’s interest in a headset have been circulating for a long time, but Cook, despite often expressing an interest in AR technology, has so far been careful not to give anything away.
Of course, we still don’t have any concrete details about the product, but the person at the top has almost confirmed that a head-based device is on the way.
Speculation in recent years suggests that Apple has developed not one, but two products: augmented reality (AR) glasses and a mixed reality headset that includes both AR and VR.
Simply put, a virtual reality (VR) headset provides an immersive experience in a digital world and is popular for gaming. AR glasses, on the other hand, place digital overlays of text or images over what you see in the real world. An AR/VR (mixed reality) headset combines both technologies.
Speaking only about AR in this week’s interview, Cook said he was “incredibly excited” about the technology and added that he believes “we are still in the early stages of how this technology will evolve.”
He continued, “I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunities we’ve seen in this space,” before concluding with his line suggesting people “keep a little bit of an update.”
Many observers expected Apple to unveil its first headset at its Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this monthbut it wasn’t supposed to be. Recent Reports have suggested the tech giant could unveil an AR/VR headset by the end of this year, while the AR glasses may not be released until 2024. Perhaps that’s what Cook meant by “keep up a little bit.” The expression usually suggests that something will happen soon, but Cook’s unusual choice of words may be his way of saying, “But don’t stay at tuned, because it’s going to take a while.”
To find out everything we think we know about Apple’s headset plans, Digital Trends has: a carefully composed page with all the incoming news.
Editor’s Recommendations