Apple's Interest in Augmented Reality Technology Continues at CES 2019

AppleInsider reports that Apple engineers and key personnel were continuing to show interest in AR (Augmented Reality) technology companies at this year's Consumer Electronics Show.

More than half a dozen incognito Apple representatives, including employees of known subsidiaries, visited AR waveguide suppliers like DigiLens, Lumus, Vuzix and WaveOptics at CES 2019, according to a person with knowledge of the meetings.

Apple has been known to be interested in AR / VR technology for years with reports of hundreds of employees working on the technology. Tim Cook notably said in 2017 that the technology to do AR glasses in a "quality way" didn't yet exist, indicating that they would wait until Apple could deliver the best experience.

applevrheadset

Rumors of an Apple AR Headset reignited when a report in April of 2018 suggested that a headset was actively being developed with a launch target of 2020. Since that rumor, it was revealed that Apple had also purchased Akonia Holographics, a startup that makes lenses for augmented reality glasses.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive These Five Perks

Wednesday July 9, 2025 9:20 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, did you know that Apple offers you five perks beyond the extra storage space, at no additional cost? Here are the perks included with all iCloud+ plans:Private Relay keeps your Safari browsing history entirely private from network providers, websites, and even Apple. Hide My Email generates unique, random email addresses whenever needed. Hom...

Top Rated Comments

miniyou64 Avatar
84 months ago
Apple stopped caring about “quality experiences” when Steve Jobs died
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Frign Avatar
84 months ago
Apple is too late to that party. And even if they weren't, refusing to sell proper hardware for this job will make this a continued impossibility.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PickUrPoison Avatar
84 months ago
Apple is too late to that party. And even if they weren't, refusing to sell proper hardware for this job will make this a continued impossibility.
Not at all. This is exactly what Apple does so successfully: spend 5+ years doing intense R&D and developing a winning product that they release when it’s ready.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
YaBe Avatar
84 months ago
VR was kind of a flop as predicted. AR on the other hand might be interesting if it’s non intrusive. Unfortunately, other than having lens implanted in your retina, who would want to wear lens/glasses if they didn’t have to?
Well some people that were not wearing watches started just to have the tech, I can see a lot of people wearing glasses / lenses just for the tech in it.

Also with the new trend of blocking blue light, a lot of people with no need for glasses started to put them on with no presciption but with just the filter.

You'd be amazed what a youngster can put up with just to have the "new toy in town".


VR. is doing fine in gaming, where it belongs, people are just waiting for better resolution, and better HW to cope with it ;).
Apple stopped caring about “quality experiences” when Steve Jobs died
Sad, but really true.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bladerunner2000 Avatar
84 months ago
Apple sells garbage hardware. Until that changes, nothing in AR or VR will ever be feasible on a Mac.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
briko Avatar
84 months ago
Not at all. This is exactly what Apple does so successfully: spend 5+ years doing intense R&D and developing a winning product that they release when it’s ready.
Oh, you mean like they did with the last Mac Pro? I read they put a lot of R&D into that. ;)

Honestly though, there was a time when I felt the same way as you. But I’m starting to realize that this new Apple is different than the one I used to know.

For example, look at the Apple TV and its wasted potential as a gaming platform. I was really hoping it would take off, but Apple gimped the launch by forcing that awful remote as the controller input. Somehow, all of their R&D and focus testing didn’t save them from that mistake. In addition to the bad user experience, it was really off-putting to the developer community. Apple eventually ended up rolling back the requirement, but the damage was already done.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)