Apple

Good news everyone, Apple isn’t interested in creating a metaverse

Probably because it already owns the real world.

by
Joe Rice-Jones
January 10, 2022

Image: Unsplash

Apple’s first mixed reality headset is releasing later this year. A new report says that Apple is taking a different direction to the competition, with its aim being a device to use in short bursts, not as “an all-day device.” Yes, Apple is not interested in joining the metaverse.

Good news for anyone worried that the Big Tech companies are going to battle royale themselves into the metaverse. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg says he’s been told “pretty directly” that the metaverse isn’t something Apple is interested in.

“Here’s one word I’d be shocked to hear on stage when Apple announces its headset: metaverse. I’ve been told pretty directly that the idea of a completely virtual world where users can escape to — like they can in Meta Platforms/Facebook’s vision of the future — is off limits from Apple.” – Mark Gurman at Bloomberg

That’s a vision of augmented, mixed, and virtual reality that’s more grounded in actual reality; than the one that Meta is doubling down on. Using the new tech as a tool to do your normal, everyday tasks – and not living in the created reality.

It’s also closer to the vision that Steve Jobs had initially for the iPhone. “An iPod that made phone calls,” and not the bloated, app-filled, time-sucking device that we use today. I’m sure Jobs would recoil in horror if he could see the number of apps vying for our attention with notifications at all times of the day.

The real question is: which strategy will work? Meta’s cheaper headset to drive VR adoption and potential metaverse inhabitants? Or Apple’s premium device that’s designed for short usage periods? In a virtual world, isn’t there enough room for both?

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