Tim Cook says AR is a 'big idea,' likens tech to smartphone
Apple CEO Tim Cook continues to drop hints about the company's ambitions to enter the augmented reality space, most recently saying the technology is "for everyone," much like the now ubiquitous smartphone.
Tim Cook (right) visiting Tate Britain with curator Chris Stephens.
The Independent caught up with Cook during a visit with UK-based app developer ustwo, makers of the hit iOS game Monument Valley. The Apple chief is on the third leg of an extended European tour that included stops in France, Germany and the UK.
Aside from expectedly positive commentary regarding the health of Apple's developer community and vague allusions to an innovation-packed product pipeline, Cook briefly touched on the burgeoning field of augmented reality. While Apple has yet to release a consumer AR solution, the technology is quickly becoming the company's new "hobby."
Reiterating his excitement over the prospects of AR, Cook said the tech holds more promise than its cousin virtual reality, which "closes the world out."
Cook made similar comments in past interviews, suggesting Apple is looking to market an AR or mixed reality system in the future. Whereas VR puts users in a completely digitized 3D environment, AR is best described as a layer of digital information overlaid onto the physical world. Mixed reality takes the notion of AR a step further by allowing users to interact with both virtual assets and real physical objects at the same time.
During an investors conference call last year, Cook said Apple is investing in AR as the tech holds great value for customers. Elaborating on the topic in today's interview, he called AR a "big idea" akin to the smartphone.
"The smartphone is for everyone, we don't have to think the iPhone is about a certain demographic, or country or vertical market: it's for everyone. I think AR is that big, it's huge," Cook said. "I get excited because of the things that could be done that could improve a lot of lives. And be entertaining."
Though some regard AR as a device or product, Cook views it as a core technology.
"I view AR like I view the silicon here in my iPhone, it's not a product per se, it's a core technology. But there are things to discover before that technology is good enough for the mainstream," he said. "I do think there can be a lot of things that really help people out in daily life, real-life things, that's why I get so excited about it."
Cook unsurprisingly stopped short of announcing exactly what Apple has in mind for AR, but his remarks make it clear that the field is of intense interest.
Apple is quickly growing out its internal AR team through strategic hires and acquisitions including motion capture specialist Faceshift, machine learning and computer vision startup Perceptio, German AR firm Metaio and Flyby Media, among others. Those acquisitions go hand-in-hand with in-house development of transparent displays, iPhone-powered VR rigs, AR maps and other related technologies described in recent patent filings.
Last month, Apple was reassigned IP from Metaio for an AR device with advanced point of interest labelling. Specifically, a pair of patents detail a mobile AR system -- or smartphone -- capable of detecting its surroundings and displaying generated virtual information to users in real time.
Recent rumors claim Apple is working with optics manufacturer Carl Zeiss on a specialized AR headset that could debut this year. Less ambitious, and perhaps more believable, are rumblings that Apple will first integrate AR hardware and software into a future iPhone model before going all in with a standalone head mounted display.
Tim Cook (right) visiting Tate Britain with curator Chris Stephens.
The Independent caught up with Cook during a visit with UK-based app developer ustwo, makers of the hit iOS game Monument Valley. The Apple chief is on the third leg of an extended European tour that included stops in France, Germany and the UK.
Aside from expectedly positive commentary regarding the health of Apple's developer community and vague allusions to an innovation-packed product pipeline, Cook briefly touched on the burgeoning field of augmented reality. While Apple has yet to release a consumer AR solution, the technology is quickly becoming the company's new "hobby."
Reiterating his excitement over the prospects of AR, Cook said the tech holds more promise than its cousin virtual reality, which "closes the world out."
Cook made similar comments in past interviews, suggesting Apple is looking to market an AR or mixed reality system in the future. Whereas VR puts users in a completely digitized 3D environment, AR is best described as a layer of digital information overlaid onto the physical world. Mixed reality takes the notion of AR a step further by allowing users to interact with both virtual assets and real physical objects at the same time.
During an investors conference call last year, Cook said Apple is investing in AR as the tech holds great value for customers. Elaborating on the topic in today's interview, he called AR a "big idea" akin to the smartphone.
"The smartphone is for everyone, we don't have to think the iPhone is about a certain demographic, or country or vertical market: it's for everyone. I think AR is that big, it's huge," Cook said. "I get excited because of the things that could be done that could improve a lot of lives. And be entertaining."
Though some regard AR as a device or product, Cook views it as a core technology.
"I view AR like I view the silicon here in my iPhone, it's not a product per se, it's a core technology. But there are things to discover before that technology is good enough for the mainstream," he said. "I do think there can be a lot of things that really help people out in daily life, real-life things, that's why I get so excited about it."
Cook unsurprisingly stopped short of announcing exactly what Apple has in mind for AR, but his remarks make it clear that the field is of intense interest.
Apple is quickly growing out its internal AR team through strategic hires and acquisitions including motion capture specialist Faceshift, machine learning and computer vision startup Perceptio, German AR firm Metaio and Flyby Media, among others. Those acquisitions go hand-in-hand with in-house development of transparent displays, iPhone-powered VR rigs, AR maps and other related technologies described in recent patent filings.
Last month, Apple was reassigned IP from Metaio for an AR device with advanced point of interest labelling. Specifically, a pair of patents detail a mobile AR system -- or smartphone -- capable of detecting its surroundings and displaying generated virtual information to users in real time.
Recent rumors claim Apple is working with optics manufacturer Carl Zeiss on a specialized AR headset that could debut this year. Less ambitious, and perhaps more believable, are rumblings that Apple will first integrate AR hardware and software into a future iPhone model before going all in with a standalone head mounted display.
Comments
You think Apple millionaire employees don't have access to the latest and all VR tech on the market? For Tim so say such a thing, it means a lot. I can almost imagine what he's talking about.
The implications of this are far reaching. Everything from warehousing and industrial maintenance, to research, and to way-finding and entertainment could be built on the same basic platform.
While we are probably a ways off from a "retina" resolution AR system, in one example, I can imagine that my desktop monitors give way to "virtual" monitors, that may be "anchored" in place on my physical desk, but can be sized, re-positioned, or multiplied easily. 3D imagery would be a snap. Heck, even that pile of physical papers and other crap could be augmentations that can be searched, shuffled, swept away and restored with a few gestures. Kind of like Minority Report, but without some big, physical projection/display system viewable by anyone else in the room.
I can't imagine that this future office wouldn't still be surrounded by many physical things, like a chair and desk. And I would not want to lose my actual coffee cup with my actual coffee in it! (Hopefully, I won't mistake it for an AR cup and try to sweep it off my desk too).
PS: As the Google Glass episode reminds me, I realize there are social issues that go along with the notion of a population having the capability of walking around in public with AR. Like I say, far reaching implications...both positive and negative.
You really think Tim is spewing this out of his backside only to deliver a mediocre product that can only fly digital drones and maybe play a few games?
What about hiking and you can activate tags for every plant, animal and object in view? Pointing at an interest pulls up a paragraph of information.
Remember that article a few days back about a chip that can detect chemicals? The one that can detect what's in your food? That's a great start.
Remember these features can be added to iOS and these features are things VR can't even dream of.
VR potential is 1000X greater than AR.
What Cook is talking about is what Apples investors can expect from Apple in the next 5-10 years.
The reality is VR is HARD and we should limit our expectations (near term), but longer term it has enormous potential.
Take a look at the F-35 helmet, it's probably the closest we have to true VR, and it's still incredibly primitive to where the technology will be in 10-20 years. The helmet currently cost $400,000 each....
http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/news/a19764/the-f-35s-third-generation-magic-helmet-is-here/
I have to agree. The challenge: How do you share information - get people excited - without reducing your competitiveness. Tricky and risky marketing tactic.
I think of Apple's event invitations. The graphics and enigmatic message always get people guessing and excited. But the invitations never give anything away. Tim Cook might do well to message more excitement and mystery in his interviews.
Even the part where the pilot can see through the floor of the plane is AR.
If it was VR then he wouldn't be in the plane at all.
AR is a pure superset of VR.
SJ was always careful to develop technology that actually solved a problem, not the other way round (there are exceptions, such as iLife).
I just feel that TC almost anxiously tries to announce the next disruptive invention front Apple. Before, this was never done. The consumers' wallets decided on this.
Somebody has to go first and as I believe you yourself have said in the past that company very often is not Apple. They come in once the ideas are sown, initial pluses and minuses identified, relevant/more compact components are under production and the timing seems right. My guess is all those criteria are now met, with the social aspects being the remaining issue that can't be completely controlled.
AR = Everything Else
Apple understands that AR has myriad real world applications for productivity. The largedt market is productivity through practical application of augmentation. We live and work in reality (most of us). Immersive VR has all the practical application of a video game or an acid trip - or playing a video game whilst on acid. Sooner or later, reality intervenes.
Apple bought Metaio in May 2015.
Take a look at the software / infrastructure stack starting at 4:32 in the video, it fits very nicely into Apple's software / infrastructure.
"I view AR like I view the silicon here in my iPhone, it's not a product per se, it's a core technology. But there are things to discover before that technology is good enough for the mainstream," he said. "I do think there can be a lot of things that really help people out in daily life, real-life things, that's why I get so excited about it."
What part of that says, to you, "Tim thinks consumers buy a technology"? He's excited about the POTENTIAL of AR to make incredible new solutions and new products. It's not going to BE the product.
Edit: I just realized you may be reacting to the headline of this story--which misrepresents Tim's point. He doesn't "liken [AR] to smartphone" he likens AR to the hardware technologies that made the smartphones possible.
I think that VR is just gimmicky nonsense at this point. Except perhaps in some fields like surgery. It has all the style and elan of Google Glass and 3D glasses.