Is Apple (AAPL) ready to take the big leap into the metaverse?
This alternative or virtual world in which we will interact with technological tools and augmented reality has become the new battleground for tech giants such as Microsoft (MSFT), Google (Alphabet) (GOOGL) and Facebook (Meta) (FB), each of which is developing devices to mix the real world and the digital world.
The Cupertino-based company, which revolutionized the phone in 2007 with the iPhone, could once again be about to unveil a technological tool that will change the way we approach the famous virtual world.
Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) scheduled for June 6 at 10 a.m. PT could provide an answer.
The Apple VR Headset
This is the question that is on everyone's lips: will Apple finally put an end to the rumor mill by announcing its long-awaited virtual reality headset, which would be its new big thing since the iPhone?
We do not expect the firm to present the helmet itself but rather to announce software support for VR.
According to The New York Times, Apple plans "to unveil software tools that would allow apps to add new camera and voice functionality, laying the groundwork for a hands-free interface that customers will eventually be able to navigate on the headset."
The device is said to look like a pair of ski goggles. It should provide virtual and augmented reality experiences.
Big Tech is racing to develop software and hardware to build worlds where 3D digital images and the physical world coexist. This new universe -- the metaverse -- could become the new thing to replace the smartphone age dominated by Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android software, much as those platforms followed the decades of Windows and Macintosh.
The device is expected to be shipped in 2023.
Apple didn't respond immediately to a request for comment.
Macbook Air, M2, Mac Pro
Besides the virtual reality headset, Apple could also announce a completely redesigned Macbook Air.
Fans and enthusiasts of the firm are also hoping to see a new Mac Pro and the unveiling of the next-generation of Apple processors, the M2.
iOS, iPadOS, and macOS
This is probably where Apple will make the most announcements because the conference is generally about software rather than hardware.
The new version of Apple's operating system, iOS 16, should have new features. Apple could announce new in-house apps. The firm could also make a splash by announcing new ways to interact with iOS.
Fans hope, for example, that Apple announces the possibility of interacting with its phone even when it is locked. This could materialize in the form of a feature called "always-on."
“From what I’m told, the new software — codenamed Sydney — is a fairly significant upgrade,” Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says in his weekly Power On newsletter. “It will be chock full of changes across the operating system, including updates to notifications, iPad multitasking, and the Messages and Health apps. The makeover also includes a part of the interface that’s often an afterthought: the lock screen.”
As for the iPad, fans hope that Apple will announce the possibility of multitasking in order to allow the device to be able to compete with Microsoft's Surface which offers two-in-one, that is to say the advantages of a PC and those of a tablet.
As for macOs, few rumors circulate. It will therefore be the big surprise for everyone if Apple makes a major announcement.
