The rumour mill is rife with reports of Apple making prototypes of and testing a set of augmented reality glasses. Apple’s first foray into virtual reality through a Google Glass-esque wearable is going to have to overcome hurdles that its predecessors couldn’t. The late coming could, however, prove to be prodigious allowing Apple to learn from the mistakes of those that came before it. Very limited information has been released about their plans and it isn’t yet clear whether the company has committed to releasing a smart glass product. Apple has, however, been recruiting engineers specialising in virtual and augmented reality.
In all likelihood, the purported Apple smart glass will integrate with the iPhone not unlike their previous wearable device, the Apple Watch. There is also speculation about Apple possibly adding more enhanced reality capabilities to the iPhone’s camera; further facilitating object and facial recognition. This does, however, raise questions as to whether Apple will be willing to undercut the advancement by offering smart glasses with the same capabilities.
Previous iterations of such technology floundered largely due to concerns about privacy and security, and there is little evidence to show such concerns have abated. Numerous incidences of hackers hijacking cameras on devices and blackmailing clueless consumers have adversely affected customer confidence. Apprehensions about allowing a corporation access to all your eyes can see also encumber the company’s ability to market the product, and the once unhackable iPhone being cracked does not help their prospects. As a wearable, Apple will have to capitalise on their brand and make the device fashionable as well. This is a problem Microsoft has chosen to not engage with altogether, with their HoloLens embracing its prosthetic appearance. The HoloLens is reportedly going to bank on its radical disruption of reality as its main selling point.
If Apple does choose to jump aboard the VR bandwagon, they’re likely to be lambasted for being 21st-century copy cats. However, if their iconic ingenuity enables the creation of another revolutionary product it could prove to be a breakthrough flagship for the corporate giant.
