AR/VR is the next ace up Apple’s sleeve
An article in the Financial Times, “Apple searches for the next big thing” charts a story that has largely been ignored except by developers, but that may well be the next step the most valuable company in the world is about to take.
ARKit is a three-layered set of APIs able to generate in a relatively simple way augmented reality immersive experiences that are far superior to those of its competitors and requiring simpler hardware; its WWDC unveiling was clearly aimed at making an alternative for platforms and developers.
We will soon see augmented reality move on from the like of Pokemon Go or Snapchat filters to its integration in any environment where it can add value. Apple is not alone: Google has launched Tango and relaunched Google Glass directed at industrial uses; Facebook has bought Oculus, which has led to several key developments; and then there is Microsoft’s HoloLens… In short, the big players are looking to gain significant market share in which 100% annual growth is forecast over the next four years.
Take a look at this video: robots walking the streets of London, moving between pedestrians and vehicles:
The important thing here is not the video itself, which is a simple experiment done with ARKit by a London company, but that it was created over a weekend with an iPhone 7 using Unity, one of the main drivers of video game development. In a very short time, we will see how augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), considered by many the fourth transformation in consumer technology, develops through four stages: from smartphone software to smartphone hardware, to viewers and goggles with cable and, finally, Bluetooth goggles and glasses, and with Apple solidly positioned in each of them, either through products it has already launched, or by patents and experiments in areas where it has shown its intentions. Again, the usual strategy: arrive in a sector where numerous players, platforms and actors are all competing against each other and to try to reinvent it.
If you want a better idea of what is coming by September, there are enough links here to keep you busy ;-)
(En español, aquí)
