Apple CEO Tim Cook Sceptial on Metaverse, but Optimistic on AR
In a recent interview, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple (who will forever be “Tim Apple” in my head), shared his thoughts on the metaverse. Cook isn’t sold on the idea of a virtual world that completely mimics reality, and points out, “there’s not an agreement on what the metaverse is.”
Apple isn’t investing in the metaverse. But it is looking to the future of augmented reality (AR) and is reportedly working on an AR/VR headset that could hit the market in 2023.
From Insider
“I think AR is a profound technology that will affect everything,” Cook said. “Imagine suddenly being able to teach with AR and demonstrate things that way. Or medically, and so on. Like I said, we are really going to look back and think about how we once lived without AR.”
When you look at Meta and Zuck’s continued failure to build excitement around the metaverse and give it some legs (literally…the avatars don’t have legs yet), AR seems like a logical middle ground. AR lies somewhere between wearing a headset 24/7 to be in a virtual world and not using immersive technology at.
Consumers and commercial brands are integrating AR into shopping experiences—you can see how a couch or rug will look in your space before buying it or try on glasses virtually—but the real AR results are being seen in enterprises.
While we haven’t seen massive penetration into the consumer and household markets, enterprises are already using AR to do some pretty impressive things.
Early adopters are using AR to improve productivity in training, remote services, prototyping, and more.
Boeing uses AR in assembly and has seen big ROI, continuing to invest in immersive technology.
As an aging workforce retires, enterprises are using AR to document and pass on legacy knowledge to the next generation.
AR and XR, when used in appropriate situations, help improve industrial training outcomes.
Energy companies are connecting the office and the field with AR.
Maybe the metaverse—and the various definitions of what it really is—will come to fruition. But for Apple and Tim Cook, as well as many industrial enterprises, AR is here now.