Wen丨 Technology pushes daily
2021 can be called the first year of the "metacosm".
That year, Zuckerberg renamed Facebook to Meta, announcing a full bet on the metaverse.
Subsequently, foreign countries such as Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, domestic such as Baidu, OPPO and Xiaomi, it can be said that from hardware to software, countless companies around the world have flocked to this track.
Everyone wants to get a piece of the "meta-universe" outlet.
But at a time when the world is frantically pursuing the "metaverse", Apple has announced that it has drawn a line with it.
01, Apple's internal "Voldemort"
Since the moment Apple showed interest in AR devices, it has been interpreted by the outside world as "Apple is about to enter the metaverse".
But this is not the case.
Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman was communicating with Apple's internal employees when he learned a message: Apple's internal prohibition on discussing the metacosm.
The original words were like this: "I would be shocked to hear the word metaverse when Apple released the AR headset." I was clearly told that a completely virtual world where users can escape – as they did in their vision of the future at Meta Platforms/Facebook – and that such an idea is off-limits for Apple. ”
Who would have thought that the three words "metaverse" would become a "Voldemort" inside Apple, and even the name could not be mentioned.
In fact, this is not surprising, Cook said in an interview with Time Magazine in September 2021: "Metaverse and AR are obviously two different words, I will not say these popular words, we will only call it AR." ”
Obviously, Apple has long been determined to draw a clear line between AR and the metacosm.
02, Apple's AR layout
Although Apple's upcoming AR device is still kept secret, some details can still be drawn from the predictions of various media outlets.
Bloomberg believes that Apple's first headset product will use AN products with both AR and VR functions.
According to The Information, the headset will include two 8K displays, more than 12 cameras for hand tracking, and retail for $3,000.
Image credit: The Information
According to analyst Mingqi Guo, the device can also run multiple processors, including one that uses Apple's M1 chip.
In addition, this headset can support Wi-Fi 6E, which can provide higher bandwidth and low-latency connections.
This Apple headset product is expected to be released in the 4th quarter of 2022.
As the heat of the metaverse continues to rise, related devices such as AR/VR, which are regarded as the entrance to the metaverse, are even more eye-catching.
Therefore, during this time, Apple's actions on AR devices will lead to its "metacosm".
But Apple has been laying out in the AR/VR field for many years.
Back in 2015, Apple formed an AR team led by Mick Rockwell, and they carried out a hardware and software project code-named "T288".
In 2017, the team made ARKit, preemptively taking over mobile AR before Google.
The next step is the AR headset product.
Similarly, in order to expand its technical strength in the AR/VR field, Apple has acquired more than a dozen companies that study the technology in this decade.
In 2013, Apple acquired PrimeSense, an Israeli hardware company that once developed the world's smallest 3D sensor.
From 2014 to 2017, Apple successively acquired FaceShift, Perceptio, Emotient, RealFace, Regaind and several other technology companies that mainly research facial recognition.
In 2015, Apple acquired German AR company Metaio, which focuses primarily on mobile AR apps.
In 2016, Apple acquired Flyby Media, which has the advantage of spatial perception technology.
In 2020, Apple spent $100 million to acquire California-based reality virtual company, NextVR.
Even not long ago, Apple poached an executive at Meta, who happened to be working on an augmented reality project at Meta.
In addition to recruiting, Apple has also made a lot of efforts in the direction of patents.
In 2021 alone, Apple's patented technologies related to AR devices reached 11, equivalent to accounting for one-ninth of the patented technologies apple won in the whole year.
Image source: Zhi Dong
Cook does not like the metaverse, but has always shown great expectations and interest in new technologies such as AR/VR.
"AR technology can enhance our conversations, enhance learning, and really amplify the value of technology to people, rather than closing the real world off."
Apple wants augmented reality, not escape.
03, Apple, do not need the metacosm
Although Apple has been laying out in the AR field for many years, so far, it has not made any related hardware products.
Throughout history, Apple has made no bigger moves in 2016, dubbed the "first year of VR"; despite the gradual decline of the VR industry, Apple still missed out on the AR wave of 2020.
Even in 2021, when the "meta-universe" exploded, Apple's attitude was also avoided.
Look at its opponents.
Google launched Google Glass in 2012, and Microsoft has released two generations of Hololens.
In 2020, Meta acquired Oculus when it was still Facebook, and released the Oculus Quest2, which was well evaluated.
In contrast, although Apple has been laid out for many years, it seems that it has always been in the stage of laying the foundation, and it has lagged behind people in terms of hardware.
However, whether the tall buildings that can be built in the end can be stabilized depends on whether the foundation of brick by brick is solid.
Apple cares about AR/VR technology itself, not about making a product for a suddenly explosive concept.
What's more, in Cook's view, augmented reality is what he wants to do, compared to the completely virtual metaverse concept, it can be said to be the opposite.
Interestingly, Musk has also said that he is not optimistic about the metaverse: "No one wants to tie a screen to their face all day. "The discomfort caused by AR/VR-related devices is where improvement is needed.
Apple sees the term "metaverse" as an "Voldemort" that can't be mentioned, not only because it was meant to be the technology itself, but also because the concept of "metacosm" is the trend led by Meta.
Apple divides the mobile phone camp into two categories, iOS and Android, and if it announces its entry into the "meta-universe" at this time, it will be difficult to differentiate in the AR/VR market.
In addition, it may also create the feeling of following Meta, and it is even more difficult to dominate this market.
Obviously, this practice is too apple.com.
The AR/VR market may be the next growth point for Apple, but the "metacosm" is not.
However, for Cook, AR devices are more like Apple's "ten years of grinding a sword" product, and when the time is ripe, it will "see blood and seal the throat".
As for the "metaverse", let others fight for it.