APPLE AR BY 2019

FULLY STANDALONE HEADSET PLANNED

APPLE IS WORKING ON an aggressive roadmap for augmented reality headsets, which it is hoped will be ready for 2019. It launched the developer’s kit, ARKit, in 2017. Unlike existing platforms, this won’t be tethered, or running from a smartphone, but rather a fully integrated standalone headset, complete with its own OS, and all the requisite hardware. CEO Tim Cook believes that “AR is going to change the way we use technology forever.”

Apple has just spent $30 million on buying Vrvana, which produced the acclaimed Totem headset. This was never officially released, and instead of the overlay system of HoloLens, it uses cameras to capture the immediate environment, then mixes the results for display. There’s no transparent overlay effect; you get a full mix of real and virtual in one, as on a smartphone. This could be a clue to how the new kit will work. Apple might be a little late to the party, but it does has an enviable record of making cool stuff people want.