During the question and answer section of today's earnings call for the first fiscal quarter of 2020, Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked when he felt that people would feel the first impact of AR on their lives.

Cook said that AR is exciting to him because there are AR uses for consumer applications and enterprise applications, which is a rarity.

ipad augmented reality

There are consumer applications and there are enterprise applications. This is the reason we're so excited about AR. You rarely have new technology that both business and consumers see as key to them.

That's the reason I think it's going to pervade your life - it's going to go across both business and home life. I think these things will happen in parallel. You can go in the App Store and ARKit apps, and enterprises are working on AR.

Apple is rumored to be including new AR capabilities in its 2020 iPhones, through the introduction of a new 3D camera that uses ToF laser technology for measuring the distance between objects, which will make AR apps better than ever.

Apple is also said to be working on some kind of augmented reality headset, which could come out in the next few years.

Tag: AR

Top Rated Comments

AppleHealth Avatar
79 months ago
Literally.. he says the same thing about AR every quarter. Who keeps asking him about it? We Know! ?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ZZ Bottom Avatar
79 months ago
Such a fluffy pointless sound bite.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DocMultimedia Avatar
79 months ago

Literally.. he says the same thing about AR every quarter. Who keeps asking him about it? We Know! ?
I groaned when that question was brought up. I'm waiting for 2026 when the response might be decent.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeepIn2U Avatar
79 months ago

I groaned when that question was brought up. I'm waiting for 2026 when the response might be decent.
I also groaned when the question was brought. I'm not waiting for 2026 as a major progress of AR. Heck look back to the 80's of Lawnmowerman and compare what you see in that move to what VR gives us today ... heck we having even grasped interactive chairs to go with the controllers and the VR glasses in real-life vs what the movie had/envisioned.

Whomever worked on Apple Campus 1 with the mothership app and the 3D aluminum display really did a great job. But practical applications without real visionary software and use case means it's still a pipe dream and minimal distraction.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MartyvH Avatar
79 months ago
AR is still waiting for its killer app that millions of people will use and benefit from.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sblemmy Avatar
79 months ago

Tim Cook wants to invent AR like Al Gore invented the internet. In reality, nobody cares unless maybe if it's hands free and doesn't block your view like HoloLens 2, Glass Enterprise Edition 2, etc.
We're currently living in the Netherlands, and I think about this every day. How nice would it be to have glasses that would translate signage from Dutch to English? It's incredibly awkward trying to use the real-time translation on Google Translate holding a phone.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
imac video apple feature

Apple Makes Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever

Tuesday February 3, 2026 12:45 pm PST by
Apple recently acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to Financial Times sources. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014. This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019....
Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
iphone 16 pro colors 1

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Models at Lower Prices

Wednesday February 4, 2026 7:44 am PST by
Apple today began selling certified refurbished iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max models on its online store in the U.S., with prices discounted by 12% to 22% compared to Apple's current or former pricing for the devices. Here were Apple's starting prices when the devices launched in September 2024: iPhone 16: $799 iPhone 16 Plus: $899 iPhone 16 Pro:...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...