Is Apple expanding into virtual reality?
Following Facebook and Google, Apple appears to be prepping to enter the virtual reality and augmented reality markets. The Financial Times published a report on Friday indicating that the company is building a secret team of virtual reality experts.
Apple鈥檚 CEO Tim Cook recently announced Apple鈥檚 . Yet with sales for some of Apple鈥檚 best-loved products, such as the iPhone, , the technology behemoth is examining new areas for growth.
Now it seems that Apple may be expanding in a new direction for the company: virtual and augmented reality.
Recent developments in virtual reality technology have caused many to speculate if Apple had plans for .
鈥淎pple currently owns the computer in your pocket,鈥� says virtuality reality company 8i owner Linc Gasking, 鈥渁nd it needs to be part of the next big user interface if it wants to retain that ownership.鈥�
The iPhone manufacturer has been notoriously close mouthed on the subject of virtual reality. Facebook will release its in early 2016. Google released Cardboard . So where is Apple's VR product?
Earlier this year, Apple鈥檚 hiring of Virginia Tech professor Doug Bowman raised a few eyebrows. Dr. Bowman鈥檚 lie in virtual reality related fields. When Apple refused to comment on Bowman鈥檚 hiring, that the company was quietly stacking its virtual reality deck.
On Friday, the Financial Times that appears to confirm suspicions. Apple recently acquired an augmented reality start-up called Flyby Media. The company refused to comment on the acquisition.
Apple鈥檚 interest in virtual reality is quiet but long standing. In 2008, Apple filed a patent for a virtual reality headset similar to Google鈥檚 Cardboard. In 2013, Apple acquired a motion sensing company called PrimeSense, as well as a German in 2015.
The company has also recently recruited other experts like Bowman, who are interested in virtual reality or related fields. Apple鈥檚 recent personnel and start-up acquisitions have spurred rumors that it has a devoted to virtual reality development. 聽
It seems that .
In August, the creator of Facebook鈥檚 Oculus Rift headset, Palmer Luckey, graced the cover of Time Magazine. Events from the NBA to the democratic debates have been broadcast in virtual reality. Pop star Rihanna has released a virtual reality music video.
Virtual reality鈥檚 biggest proponents predict that VR interfaces will be the equivalent of television for future generations.
Enthusiast and head of developer relations at a VR company, Bruce Wooden told The Atlantic that just as our generation and preceding generations had television rooms, the VR room will be the recreation room of the future.
Mr. Wooden said, 鈥淎 segment of this early-adopter, hardcore-gamer population, that鈥檚 what they鈥檙e going to do. They鈥檙e definitely going to have VR rooms.鈥�
Many, like Wooden, who are familiar with virtual reality technology are convinced that it will go big. According to , 鈥淥nce you鈥檝e experienced it, it鈥檚 obvious that it鈥檚 going to change the world in a big way.鈥�
It appears that Mr. Cook agrees.
鈥淚n terms of virtual reality, no, I don't think it's a niche,鈥� said Cook about Apple鈥檚 financial results last quarter, 鈥渋t's really cool and has some interesting applications.鈥�
If the Financial Times report is right, Cook could be playing it cool as Apple develops its next big thing.
