4 Augmented / Mixed Reality

Image via iDrop News

Apple is notoriously secretive about its future plans, but one thing seems apparent: the Cupertino tech giant is laying the groundwork for a breakthrough in augmented reality.

The debut of ARKit in 2017 was the first stepping stone toward a mixed-reality future — but it, in itself, isn’t Apple’s next moonshot. That may very well be a rumored augmented or mixed-reality product. Specifically, a wearable pair of glasses or goggles that uses AR tech.

It’s clear that this is shaping up to be Apple’s “next big thing.” The device, which we don’t know too much about yet, is rumored to use AR to overlay information onto a real-world environment.

But it could also allow for virtual reality experiences, similar to current VR devices like the Oculus Rift. Thus, the proper term for the upcoming wearable might be MR (mixed-reality).

By most reports, the “Apple Glass” will be able to function and connect to the internet without an iPhone — and it may even have its own full-fledged App Store. If anything could replace the iPhone, it might be this.

And Apple is putting together the pieces for the device’s launch. The company has a slew of AR patents, for one. It’s been meeting with AR component suppliers and rumor has it that the company has already tapped its chief metal casing supplier to help build out the devices for a launch by 2020.