Apple fans are watching to see whether the iPhone maker puts a culture-changing spin on virtual reality, even as rivals slow their march toward the metaverse.
All eyes are on whether Apple will commit to releasing long-rumored VR or Augmented Reality (AR) goggles at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. The Apple chief said this week that AR is hot and that it has always had a history of going its own way, even with doubt. Apple’s approach to the metaverse would likely be different from that of Meta, which has proclaimed it the future of the internet.
Cook’s AR is about a world where an Apple product could overlay the real one with virtual imagery for something better. Meta’s experience with Metaverse has been humbling despite it being a leader in the emerging sector.
Cook did not announce the plans for Apple Eyewear but spoke more broadly about VR or AR. And defended the time it would take to get that thing.
Apple is going to put a spin on it and lead others to the water. The play is designed to penetrate the Apple brand’s customer base. Apple, for example, could craft virtual or augmented reality versions of its streaming television or music services that give viewers premium virtual seats to films or concerts. The analyst said Apple’s business model is to sell people premium gadgets and then sell games, apps, films, and the like. And what Meta wants to do and what Apple wants to do are two different things.
