An interview with Tim Cook, the head of the Californian group, in GQ magazine revived the rumor this week.
Without giving specifics, the leader praises the benefits of augmented reality, which allows things to be overlaid from the digital world onto the real world to improve communication between people and connections with others.
It’s the idea that there’s that environment that could be even better than just the real world, he argued.
Many analysts are now predicting the unveiling of an augmented and virtual reality headset in June at WWDC, Apple’s annual conference for developers.
Wedbush Securities’ Daniel Ives goes for glasses priced at around $2,500 (CAD$3,363).
That launch, if it happens, would allow the bitten apple brand to strengthen its ecosystem of products and services, the analyst said.
There will be criticism, but we think it’s the right strategic move for Apple, he told AFP.
Hard return to reality in 2023
Specialists were already expecting an Apple helmet last year, during the previous WWDC. At the end of January 2022, Tim Cook had actually indicated that he saw a lot of potential in mixed realities and was investing accordingly.
The Metaverse was widely described at the time as the future of the Internet, after the web and mobile devices, powered by Meta.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg renamed his company Meta in 2021 to reflect his ambitions for the Metaverse.
Photo: Reality Labs
But the social networking giant’s efforts have so far failed to garner significant adoption outside of fans of immersive universe video games, with or without virtual reality.
According to a study by American investment bank Piper Sandler released Tuesday, 29% of US teenagers own a virtual reality headset (compared to 87% who have an iPhone), but only 14% use it at least once a week. a number that has not increased since the fall.
According to Counterpoint, Meta’s Quest headsets accounted for more than 80% of the market by the end of 2022.
But like many other tech giants hit by poor economic conditions, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram has had to lay off thousands of people, and its Metaverse branch has not been spared.
For its part, Google last month ditched Google Glass, augmented reality glasses that never caught on.
The two competitors preferred to concentrate on artificial intelligence, which has been booming since the success of ChatGPT, the software from the young Californian offshoot OpenAI, which is financed in particular by Microsoft.
A risky bet
With Facebook losing so much money in this space, it seems bizarre to launch a new consumer headset, notes independent analyst Rob Enderle. But maybe the train is on the tracks and it’s hard to stop it.
In everything we did, there were always a lot of doubters, Tim Cook told GQ.
Whatever the product, his company wants to master the basic technology, explained the boss. We’re not interested in piecing together pieces of someone else’s technology.
Apple will try to release its own version and get others to follow it, predicts Carolina Milanesi of Creative Strategies.
According to the analyst, Meta wants to create an immersive form of Facebook, with a business model still based on advertising, while its neighbor in Cupertino sells high-end devices and a universe of bespoke services, from entertainment to payments.
She sees Apple offering augmented reality versions of movies or concerts through its streaming apps, for example.