Augmented Reality (AR)

A report today claims that the Apple AR headset launch won’t be taking place until 2022 — some two years later than has previously been suggested. The information was reportedly announced to team members at an internal presentation in the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park.

The report suggests the Cupertino company plans a two-stage launch for the product that has been colloquially referenced as Apple Glasses.

Updated with more details below …

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Augmented reality has captured the excitement of tech companies and the creativity community, but a lack of approachable tools for creating AR content has slowed its growth and widespread acceptance. For AR to be as transformative as we’ve been promised, something has to change. Adobe thinks the answer is Aero, its new AR authoring tool debuting today on iPads and iPhones.

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Apple is set to introduce major new augmented reality initiatives next year with new 3D rear sensors for the iPhone and the likely debut of Apple’s long-rumored AR headset product.

Bloomberg says Apple has “targeted” to launch the headset in 2020, featuring holographic displays in the lenses. The exact form factor and use cases for the headset is still unclear. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said that Apple would release an AR headset in mid-2020 with a “third-party brand collaboration.”

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Apple has reportedly shifted one of its key, high-profile software executives to its augmented reality team. As detailed by the Information, Kim Vorrath has led program management for Apple’s software team for over 15 years, but is now moving to focus on the AR team.

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Apple has recently filed a patent for a mixed-reality headset device that would “provide 3D virtual views of a user’s environment augmented with virtual content.” The patent was first detailed by Variety.

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Apple loves augmented reality. Tim Cook says we won’t be able to imagine our lives without it. New products are designed with hardware specifically tuned for AR experiences. A suite of tools unveiled this year at WWDC was built to make creating ARKit apps easier than ever.

Considering the enthusiasm, it’s surprising that Apple’s online and physical retail store environments have largely stood clear of AR to date. How might Apple augment its shopping experience? Is the current technology appropriate for a retail setting?

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If you’ve ever wished you could have experienced the Apollo 11 Moon landing, two upcoming augmented reality apps will give you the next best thing.

USA Today, Florida Today, and The Smithsonian Institution are partnering on a real-time AR experience that will allow you to view each aspect of the mission, from lift-off to Moon landing. The experience has been created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the historic achievement …

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A new official Statue of Liberty app uses augmented reality to bring to life a virtual visit to the landmark. It includes a view no visitor has been able to see since 1916 …

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Angry Birds got a new lease of life when it came to the Magic Leap, Oculus Rift and Vive headsets. But Rovio is now bringing the augmented reality experience to mobile for the first time, initially exclusive to iPhone and iPad.

It will be available later this spring, but will be available for pre-order from later today …

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Apple talks about augmented reality at any opportunity it gets, but so far its fierce ambition has only materialized to consumers as ARKit apps on the iPhone and iPad. It has been widely reported that Apple is developing an AR glasses / headset product.

Today, Ming-Chi Kuo reports that Apple’s first augmented reality product will go into mass production as soon as the fourth quarter of this year, but hedges the timeframe slightly and says it will be mass-produced by the second quarter of 2020 at the latest.

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Sony is organizing a production ramp of 3D camera sensors for next year after seeing increased interest for the technology from major customers including Apple, a report from Bloomberg Quint explains.

The Japanese tech firm is allegedly ramping production of both rear and front 3D camera modules, while also working on separate software toolkits for developers to toy with generating 3D imagery.

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Apple’s CEO Tim Cook is known as a big proponent of AR. He said last year that he views it “as a big idea like the smartphone.” While augmented reality is being used for anything from gaming to shopping, navigation to useful tools, one company is making a big difference in how medical professionals train with software considered to be the “flight simulator for surgeons.”
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A new report from Business Insider today reveals that after making its first stab at acquiring Leap Motion back in 2013, Apple may have made another offer between $30m-$50m for the augmented reality start up this year.

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Apple’s interest in augmented reality has become pretty clear over the last couple of years, and just this past week it acquired a startup focused on building lenses for AR glasses.

As if Apple’s growing AR ambitions weren’t already clear enough, diving into the company’s hiring trends reveals even more.

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