Cook is very fond of AR and thinks that AR is a very important technology in the next decade.
At the Apple Autumn Conference, AR glasses failed to appear. But the latest report predicts that Apple is expected to bring AR glasses in the first half of next year.
Tianfeng Securities analyst Guo Mingxi said that Apple is working with third-party brands to develop AR glasses, and head-mounted AR devices are expected to measure production as early as 2019. It is expected to be in 2020 Launched in the quarter, Changying Precision is the supplier of its chassis.
Cook is very popular with AR and believes that AR is a very important technology for the next decade. But as of now, Apple has no action on the AR hardware, only provides software support on the iPhone, iPad, etc., as Cook said, AR is like a chip in the iPhone, not independent. Product, but a core technology.
Microsoft and Google have already released AR glasses, but because of their cumbersome and practicality, they have not been popular yet. However, the major players are constantly improving the layout of the industrial chain, and the experience of AR products is gradually improving. Apple and Samsung are expected to enter the end of this year or next year.
Apple’s AR layout began in 2017 with WWDC, launching the augmented reality development tool ARKit, and the iPhone released in September of the same year provided an exit for these technologies. In terms of talents, former Dolby executive vice president MiKe Rockwell served as the head of Apple’s internal AR team. This year, Frank, who has been working on the iPhone for a long time, transferred to the AR department as the product marketing director.
Technology reserves, Apple has mastered AR related patents such as AR helmet, AR glasses, AR optical path design optical waveguide, AR 3D content construction and presentation technology, and also acquired AR technology by acquiring a number of startup companies. For example, Canada augmented reality (AR) helmet company Vrvana, Denver AR lens company Akonia Holographics. There are more than 3,000 AR apps in the App Store. It can be seen that Apple’s preparation for hardware has been relatively adequate.
Apple is not quick on the release of hardware products, and usually chooses to launch it at a node with relatively mature technology. Considering Apple’s position in the hardware and software market, it will launch a AR device that will generate demonstration effects and accelerate the development of the AR industry.
According to IDC, the sales of AR glasses will reach 31.9 million units in 2023, corresponding to a compound growth rate of 169% for 2019-2023. The increase in shipments of AR glasses will quickly drive downstream content application production and product diversity, further stimulating the overall market growth of AR.
In addition to AR glasses, Apple introduced a number of new products in the first half of next year. Guo Minghao predicts that Apple will launch the iPhone SE 2 and the new iPad Pro in the first quarter of next year. In the second quarter, will launch the new MacBook with a scissor keyboard.
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