Reality Check

Augmented reality is getting the tech world excited – how does Apple stack up against its rivals?

- Alex Blake

Apple doesn’t usually spill the beans on its future plans, but there’s one topic that Tim Cook just can’t help gushing about.

That topic is augmented reality, also known as AR. It’s “a big idea like the smartphone,” he says. “When I think about the big things, I think about AR,” he muses, somewhat philosophically. And he’s so excited by it that he just wants to “yell out and scream.”

Having a CEO so enamoured with AR augurs well for its future on iPhone. But there are plenty of other reasons why Apple’s iOS platform could be the ideal springboard for the tech.

Huge opportunity

There’s a huge appetite for AR among consumers. AR game Pokémon Go caused a worldwide sensation when it launched, and has been downloaded over 500 million times since it came out in July 2016. And when Apple launched its ARKit framework for developers, the internet was awash with AR creations.

The potential financial rewards of such a popular platform are huge, with some analysts stating that AR could generate up to $200 billion in revenues over the next decade. There are savings to be made as well – General Electric’s Jeff Immelt believes that augmented reality could free up $50 billion a year for industrial firms alone through improved productivity.

It’s not hard to see why Apple chose to get involved in developing an AR platform. But what is it about Apple products that makes them the best place for it?