Apple’s Fight for a Piece Of The $8 Trillion Metaverse

What’s the big deal with AR and VR? Why is Apple so interested in them?

Some people think that AR and VR are just fads, but Apple knows there’s more to them. Augmented reality can change how we interact with the world, and virtual reality can take us to new and amazing places. I have been fascinated by Apple’s approach to technologies like AR and VR. ARKit has been an aspiration for me since 2016, and there’s been no looking back. “AR can work with just a phone” is the thought that encouraged me to deeper into these technologies with HelloAR and build some fascinating projects for companies across industries!

In this blog post, we’ll look at Apple’s history with AR and VR, its current efforts in the Metaverse space, and how those efforts compare to its rivals. We’ll also discuss what Apple needs to do to catch up to Meta and other tech giants in the race to build the Metaverse.

Apple’s History with AR and VR

In the last ten years, Apple has made significant strides in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). From the introduction of the ARKit and advancements in camera, LiDAR, Apple has been slowly but surely introducing AR and VR capabilities into its hardware and software. Here’s a look at how Apple is approaching the Metaverse game.

One of the most notable things about Apple’s approach to AR and VR is that it has been very gradual. The company has slowly introduced new features and capabilities over time. This incremental approach has allowed Apple to avoid some of the pitfalls other companies have faced with their AR and VR efforts.

After years of debates, the company is finally starting to show its hand about its Metaverse aspirations. With the introduction of ARKit, Apple has been laying the groundwork for a robust ecosystem of augmented and virtual reality experiences.

By now, we must all have a pretty decent understanding of Apple’s standard strategy when it comes to introducing new technology. Their work tends to be both forward-thinking and tightly guarded until the moment of public unveiling. However, Apple has revealed some of its metaverse-related work throughout the years.

Is Apple Meta’s biggest rival in Metaverse?

Formerly known as Facebook, the value of Meta has plummeted in recent times. This could be attributed to the slower-than-expected growth and Meta’s consistent miss of targets, and a less than impressive Horizon Worlds (Meta’s virtual world presence).

Over 7 million individuals worldwide have purchased Meta’s Oculus headset in the past year. A large number, but not quite as large as Apple’s 230 million iPhone sales in the same time frame. It may appear like we are comparing apples and oranges here. Smartphones like the iPhone and virtual reality devices like the Oculus Rift appear to be separate products. Even though this is accurate regarding the devices’ intended function, it is not true regarding their technical specifications. The iPhone from Apple has crucial components for the augmented reality portion of the metaverse.

Playing the slow-fast bending game since 1980

Apple has always been fascinated with augmented reality. An augmented reality prototype existed as long back as the 1980s. Furthermore, the corporation formally established an augmented reality research group in 2015. This was the point that the public’s opinion of Google Glass started to spiral out of control, and Apple recognized that it required a radical departure from Google’s approach.?

And they kicked things off by bringing in fresh minds and purchasing up firms with tried-and-true cutting-edge tech. Many of these businesses had clunky systems that Apple could improve. In this category was a business that had come out with innovative virtual reality headgear and augmented reality glasses. Apple has also left a paper trail of patents behind them. Recent patents include one for a finger-mounted input device that facilitates natural and intuitive gesture-based controls in virtual reality and augmented reality headsets.

Are our iPhones a gateway to Metaverse?

The company’s miniaturization achievements are also hard to ignore. Every iPhone Pro has a LiDAR sensor now. As a result, this cutting-edge innovation is invaluable for laying up AR applications. Apple has made significant progress in developing bespoke ARM processors with the power of laptops and the portability of mobile devices. Without officially advertising or announcing it, Apple is providing the general public with devices connected to the metaverse. A latent Apple metaverse may emerge as a result.

While much of Apple’s metaverse technology remains under wraps, the company’s development software is open source. If you’re an app developer interested in incorporating augmented reality features into your apps for Apple devices, you may use Apple’s already-mature software. Reality Composer and Reality Converter are part of Apple’s ARKit and RealityKit developer frameworks.

There must be a place where the software, as mentioned earlier, development environments, and libraries may function. Now we can see how Apple’s mobile products fit into the scheme. You’ve already seen that Apple’s mobile devices are increasingly outfitted with hardware connected to the metaverse. With Apple’s AR software development kit, every iPhone may be used as an AR device. Apple is often recognized as a frontrunner in AR regarding mobile devices. Every current iPhone has the hardware required to handle sophisticated augmented reality applications. A real Apple headset, though, would be much more stunning.

Final thoughts on Apple’s current efforts

According to the available evidence, Apple is developing not one but two different types of mixed-reality headsets. The first is a combined AR/VR headgear that may be available in stores as early as 2023. Thanks to its A-series CPU, the headset may be surprisingly powerful and usable even when not connected to an iOS device or a Mac. It should have a similar form as Meta’s Oculus Quest, although with a more minimal and lightweight build.

Many people had never heard of the word “metaverse” before Facebook’s rebranding as Meta, but this was all part of a bigger focus on the metaverse. Meta has come a long way, and it now ranks among the top innovators in the field of the metaverse. Oculus virtual reality headsets are at the forefront of hardware innovation, and Apple’s metaverse plan will face stiff competition from Meta’s early moves. But how exactly does Meta intend to capitalize on this first-mover advantage? That’s a tale for the next installment!