2020 is the year of Apple AR Glasses

Apple CEO Tim Cook called augmented reality “the next big thing” this week. But he kept quiet about his company’s  specific plans for this emerging technology. So Cult of Mac reached out to industry analysts who predicted that this year’s iPhone and iPad will have AR equipment built in. And, for the future, they’re optimistic about Apple’s rumored AR glasses.

The best-known example of augmented reality is Pokémon Go. This technology overlays computer-generated images onto the real world. It’s different from virtual reality, which completely replaces the real world.

APPLE AR GLASSES

Concept Apple AR glasses demonstrate the possibilities.
Photo: Martin Hajek

Apple’s CEO is a big AR booster

“I’m excited about AR,” Tim Cook said during a speech in Ireland this week.” My view is it’s the next big thing, and it will pervade our entire lives.”

Tom Mainelli, Group VP of Device and Consumer Research at IDC, concurs. He told Cult of Mac,”It’s going to fundamentally change how we interact with digital data and objects, as well as how we interact with each other.”

But AR is still more potential than reality. “We’re waiting for the technology to further evolve into something that developers can use to drive next-generation experiences consumers want to have,” said Mainelli.

Apple commits to augmented reality in 2020

Apple apparently isn’t going to miss out. The company already builds its ARKit software into iPhone and iPad, and it’ll move into AR hardware this year. “I expect the next generation of Apple devices to utilize new sensors that will further refine the AR experience,” said Mainelli. He’s referring to reports that Apple’s handsets and tablets will have “Time of Flight” laser scanning technology.

David MacQueen, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, agrees that ToF scanners will appear in future iPhones. “The first step in augmenting reality is to understand that reality by mapping the environment the user is in, and what recognising relevant/useful objects are in that environment,” MacQueen explained to Cult of Mac. “ARKit as it stands can find flat surfaces and place a virtual object on that, but not do a lot else when it comes to understanding the environment. ToF sensors could help ARKit go beyond that and open up new possibilities to app developers.” …