Tim Cook is annoyed that Apple is working on an augmented reality product, or AR, in an interview with the state-run China Daily, telling AR fans to “stay tuned and see what we have to offer.” This reads like a direct hint that the company has been working on some kind of headset that has been talked about for years – unless, of course, it thinks people will really get excited about using ARKit apps on their phones.
In the video brought to our attention by 9to5Mac, the interviewer asks Cook what he thinks are the key factors for the success of an AR product. Cook responds by saying that he “could not be more excited” than AR, even though he is “in the very early innings” of his development.
Cook has spoken out about AR dozens of times during his tenure as Apple’s chief executive and has gone so far as to say that he is a “number one” fan of the technology. He also agreed that AR is a “critical part of Apple’s future” and when the company announced its AR API, Craig Federigi said the technology was a “profound” change. But while these comments revealed that Apple was working in space, they were not promises that Apple would supply an AR device.
Rumors have been circulating for years that Apple is working on AR headphones or even combo augmented / virtual reality headphones, and from everything we’ve gathered during that time, there’s been a tumultuous design process. The device is currently considered a stand-alone device, with the computer powering the built-in headphones. Analysis Ming-Chi Kuo said that the headphone chip will be as powerful as those that power the Mac.
Recent reports make the headphones almost ready. According to Bloomberg, work on its operating system, called Reality OS, has intensified, and the board of directors should test the hardware last month.
However, Cook’s comment is not necessarily positive evidence that Apple’s headphones are just around the corner. In March, Apple explicitly announced the announcement of the Apple Silicon Mac Pro. Many people, myself included, were sure that meant we would see him at the WWDC in June. But the main word came and went without Apple showcasing its high-end machine. What I’m saying is that while Apple seems to be opening up a bit about what products are in the bunker, it certainly still makes us guess.
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