Photo: Danie van der Merwe on Flickr
Apple's ambitions to take over the automotive world have crumbled down in the past few months, to the immense satisfaction of every owner of an Android smartphone in this world.
A few car makers have probably also breathed a sigh of relief as they feared the financial power of these technology giants would turn them into simple hardware suppliers over the next decades or so. That won't be the case for now, it would appear, as recent reports suggested Apple has given up on its plan to build a vehicle while Google never expressed such an intention.
However, since transportation is always going to be a profitable market, Apple isn't out of it for good. Following the latest developments, the consensus was that Apple was switching its focus on autonomous driving technology, because what else could a company with such a profile be working on, right?
Right, but there might be more to it. Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst for KGI Securities that gathers intelligence from his contacts in Apple's Asian supply chain and assembles it into usable pieces of information, believes the Californian giant is working on an augmented reality system that will be integrated into its larger autonomous vehicle package.
But what is augmented reality? In short, it's a technology that allows the overlaying of computer-generated images over the outside world, enriching the user's experience and providing them with additional information. That means it would be invaluable to have in a car, be it autonomous or not.
"Assuming Apple successfully develops AR," Ming-Chi Kuo's report quoted by MacRumors read, "we predict the firm will enjoy the following competitive advantages: (1) redefining existing key products and leading competitors by three to five years. For instance, this could happen for iPhone, iPad and Mac; (2) eliminating obstacles of Apple Watch and Apple TV by offering an innovative user experience; and (3) entering new business fields, such as autonomous driving system."
OK, so all you Android users out there can enjoy it while it lasts, because if Mr. Kuo is right and Apple is working on introducing AR technology inside the vehicles, it could make the company a trendsetter once again. And if owning an iPhone will make the difference between a plain windshield and one that shows tons of overlaid information, you will be buying one in a heartbeat.
However, since transportation is always going to be a profitable market, Apple isn't out of it for good. Following the latest developments, the consensus was that Apple was switching its focus on autonomous driving technology, because what else could a company with such a profile be working on, right?
Right, but there might be more to it. Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst for KGI Securities that gathers intelligence from his contacts in Apple's Asian supply chain and assembles it into usable pieces of information, believes the Californian giant is working on an augmented reality system that will be integrated into its larger autonomous vehicle package.
But what is augmented reality? In short, it's a technology that allows the overlaying of computer-generated images over the outside world, enriching the user's experience and providing them with additional information. That means it would be invaluable to have in a car, be it autonomous or not.
"Assuming Apple successfully develops AR," Ming-Chi Kuo's report quoted by MacRumors read, "we predict the firm will enjoy the following competitive advantages: (1) redefining existing key products and leading competitors by three to five years. For instance, this could happen for iPhone, iPad and Mac; (2) eliminating obstacles of Apple Watch and Apple TV by offering an innovative user experience; and (3) entering new business fields, such as autonomous driving system."
OK, so all you Android users out there can enjoy it while it lasts, because if Mr. Kuo is right and Apple is working on introducing AR technology inside the vehicles, it could make the company a trendsetter once again. And if owning an iPhone will make the difference between a plain windshield and one that shows tons of overlaid information, you will be buying one in a heartbeat.
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