Apple CEO Tim Cook called augmented reality \u201cthe next big thing\u201d this week. But he kept quiet about his company\u2019s\u00a0 specific plans for this emerging technology. So\u00a0Cult of Mac<\/em> reached out to industry analysts who predicted that this year\u2019s iPhone and iPad will have AR equipment built in. And, for the future, they\u2019re optimistic about Apple\u2019s rumored AR glasses.<\/p>\n The best-known example of augmented reality is Pok\u00e9mon Go<\/a><\/em>. This technology overlays computer-generated images onto the real world. It\u2019s different from virtual reality, which completely replaces the real world.<\/p>\n Concept Apple AR glasses demonstrate the possibilities. <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m excited about AR,\u201d Tim Cook said during a speech in Ireland this week.\u201d My view is it\u2019s the next big thing, and it will pervade our entire lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Tom Mainelli, Group VP of Device and Consumer Research at IDC, concurs. He told Cult of Mac<\/em>,\u201dIt\u2019s going to fundamentally change how we interact with digital data and objects, as well as how we interact with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n But AR is still more potential than reality. \u201cWe\u2019re waiting for the technology to further evolve into something that developers can use to drive next-generation experiences consumers want to have,\u201d said Mainelli.<\/p>\n Apple apparently isn\u2019t going to miss out. The company already builds its ARKit software<\/a> into iPhone and iPad, and it\u2019ll move into AR hardware this year. \u201cI expect the next generation of Apple devices to utilize new sensors that will further refine the AR experience,\u201d said Mainelli.\u00a0He\u2019s referring to reports that Apple\u2019s handsets and tablets will have \u201cTime of Flight\u201d laser scanning technology.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/span>David MacQueen, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, agrees that ToF scanners will appear in future iPhones. \u201cThe 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,\u201d MacQueen explained to Cult of Mac<\/em>. \u201cARKit 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.\u201d …<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span>APPLE AR GLASSES<\/h2>\n
![\"Apple](\"https:\/\/cdn.cultofmac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/25505959547_172dc9cfcb_b.jpg\" "\\"25505959547_172dc9cfcb_b\\"")
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\nPhoto: Martin Hajek<\/p>\n<\/span>Apple\u2019s CEO is a big AR booster<\/h3>\n
Apple commits to augmented reality in 2020<\/h3>\n
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