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Tim Cook gives the clearest hint so far that Apple is creating headphones

Apple CEO Tim Cook poses for a portrait next to a line of new MacBook Airs as he enters the Steve Jobs Theater during the Apple Developers Conference (WWDC) on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California on June 6, 2022. .

Chris Tweet AFP | Getty Images

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently gave the closest thing to confirmation that Apple is building headphones.

Cook was asked in a recent interview with China Daily USA what he believes are the key factors for the success of augmented reality or AR in the consumer market.

“I am incredibly excited about AR, as you may know. And the critical thing about any technology, including AR, is putting humanity at the center of it, “he said, echoing past comments about how important AR is to a company.

He then described Apple’s work in the space so far, which has focused on the AR applications of the iPhone and iPad, before adding: “But I think we’re still in the very early innings of how this technology will evolve. Don’t worry more about the opportunities we’ve seen in this space, and somehow stay tuned and see what we have to offer. “

AR or “mixed reality” describes a technology that superimposes computer-generated images on real-world views, as opposed to virtual reality or VR, which completely immerses the viewer in a computer-generated world.

This is one of the most striking examples to date of Cook acknowledging that Apple has something bigger at work. While current apps may be useful for things like room mapping or seeing if new furniture can fit, Apple seems more likely to build the library and developer tools to create apps for something like headphones.

In May, Bloomberg said that Apple had recently unveiled its AR / VR headphones aboard Apple and that the company plans to announce it later this year, although it could sneak in next year. The same report says Apple plans to sell the headset in 2023.

Apple will catch up with a number of other major technology companies, most notably Meta, which changed its name from Facebook last year to mark its reworked focus on immersing consumers in virtual worlds known as the “metauniverse,” and Microsoft, which first introduced their Hololens AR glasses in 2016