We don’t want to say we told you so, but…
Last week, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook stated that he believes Augmented Reality is bigger, and better, than Virtual Reality. So, it seems as though we were on point when we invested in this technology and told you to do the same.In a recent interview with Good Morning America, Cook explained that AR has a lot more commercial interest and usage overall because it is an engaging, social platform whereas VR is seclusive and limited. He said, “Augmented Reality is the larger of the two, probably by far, because this gives the capability for both of us to sit and be very present talking to each other, but also have other things visually for both of us to see.” He went on to discuss various opportunities that AR can lend to consumers and companies.
Although AR technology has been around for awhile, it has only recently gained widespread attraction. Vanity Fair reminded us of Google Glass back in 2012 and how “generally it was considered a fail, partly because the technology was too new, and partly because the idea of glasses with a built-in camera was, at the time, considered creepy.” Now that consumers have the choice to save or splurge on at-home VR headsets with cute metallic accents, the technology is by no means “creepy,” but more so cool, appealing, and familiar.
Investments in AR have been sky-rocketing as companies and brands are looking for new and inventive ways to engage with their audience, evidenced by the recent phenomenon of Pokémon Go. In August, the New York Times acquired Fake Love, an experimental design agency who specializes in AR and VR platforms. Concurrently, special-purpose venture funds are being formed all over Silicon Valley to focus on AR’s development. It should then come as no surprise that Cook’s team at Apple is in the midst of developing AR products, and eventually, its own hardware. Does this mean that AR could potentially be a new built-in feature of the iPhone 8 or 9? Most definitely.
Overall, the most important note to take from all of this is exactly what we’ve been saying for awhile now–everyone wants in on Augmented Reality. What are you waiting for? Get a head start on your competitors by calling your rep at VPM to implement AR into your next project.