Despite some high expectations, any mention of an Apple VR/AR headset was notably absent from WWDC 2022. Apple CEO Tim Cook must have noticed, too, because on June 21 he sat down with China Daily USA (opens in new tab) and said to “stay tuned” to see what Apple has to offer.
While this offers very little in the way of concrete information, the interview was not without some insights. First, the interview focused largely on AR, not VR. While this may have merely been an oversight on the part of the interviewer or Cook, it feels very intentional.
Cook specifically highlighted the “over 14,000 ARKit apps in the [Apple] App Store,” so the interview seems particularly designed to focus on the future of AR rather than VR. Cook has shown a preference for AR in the past, so this is not a huge shock.
In this @ChinaDailyUSA interview, @tim_cook was asked about AR and VR headsets…watch his response… Reality 🥽 is coming@mingchikuo @Scobleizer @CharlieFink @SkarredGhost @CapStark7 pic.twitter.com/tJz5j9dBVBJune 22, 2022
Apple VR/AR: What is the difference between VR and AR?
Without getting into the finer details, the main difference between VR and AR is the immersion experienced by the user. VR (virtual reality) is a completely immersive experience that transports the user into a wholly digital world. There are currently a few VR headsets on the market, largely focused on gaming. The Oculus Quest 2 is currently our best VR headset available.
AR (augmented…
