Apple AR will take at least 1-2 years to happen, says analyst

Sometimes you have to wonder what happens in Ming-chi Kuo's mind. The KGI Securities analyst has already reached exalted status with all Apple watchers, thanks to his spot-on predictions about the iPhone creators. This time the master has spoken regarding Apple's AR technology.

According to a research note sent to investors, Kuo predicts that users will have to wait for one or two years at the very least, before they can get their hands on Apple branded AR tech. He believes that AR and VR technology is currently too bulky for a company like Apple, which puts its eggs mostly in the user experience basket.

However, it seems that AR is something Apple is looking into, considering Tim Cook's statements in the past few months. In July he confirmed that the company is going to make a big investment in AR and VR technology. More recently, in September, Cook showed great enthusiasm when he discussed AR with ABC News.

When you add the recent acquisitions of small AR and VR companies such as Faceshift, Metaio and Flyby Media to the mix, everything starts to fall into place. And since Tim Cook and company have recently filed several patents for AR and VR tech, we can easily see where this is going.

If Kuo is to be believed (and we're quite inclined to believe him), Apple might focus on AR for more than just their handhelds. Rumors have surfaced in March last year about Apple working on a self-driving car, utilizing some AR tech in it too. However, they were recently replaced with reports, saying that the creator of the iPhone is scaling the project down to working on underlying technology only, instead of developing a whole new vehicle.

Will this hold true, remains to be seen, but if Apple plays its cards right, it might not be late to the race after all.

source: AppleInsider