In a lengthy interview with Jena McGregor of the Washington Post today, Apple chief executive Tim Cook gave a bit more insight into the company’s activities in the world of augmented reality (AR). Here’s what Cook said, after McGregor asked about AR and virtual reality (VR):
I think AR is extremely interesting and sort of a core technology. So, yes, it’s something we’re doing a lot of things on behind that curtain that we talked about.
It’s brief, but it’s informative. Cook conveys that there are more than one or two AR endeavors ongoing inside Apple.
The statement comes a few weeks after Cook made his first clear public remarks about AR, telling financial analysts that Apple is “high on AR for the long run” and that he personally thinks “AR can be huge.” Of course, Cook wasn’t exactly revealing what products Apple will come out with in the interview with the newspaper this weekend. But he is dropping another hint about the company’s activity in the area.
Baidu, Google, and Microsoft have already revealed AR technologies, and Facebook has expressed its long-term interest in the field as well. Apple has acquired AR companies Metaio and Flyby Media.