In the world of technology, there is a long and storied tradition of people insisting Apple is about to fall on its face — and being wildly wrong about it.
As reported in The New York Times recently, Apple’s rank and file are skeptical of the company’s plan to launch this new headset, with “concerns about the device’s roughly $3,000 price, doubts about its utility and worries about its unproven market.” The headset in question is part of a broad shift toward virtual reality or augmented reality. In its purest form, it involves putting on a headset that subsumes your sight and hearing into a virtual world. This is the “metaverse” of Meta: a virtual world populated by cartoon avatars and shockingly sterile virtual gatherings.
If it all sounds terribly futuristic, it tends to fall apart a bit when one asks a rather plain question: well, why would anyone want that? There are a few things going on here. Apple is so successful because it sells tens of millions of iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Watches every year. The company and its CEO Tim Cook are looking for the next big hit — some new product category to dominate with Apple’s trademark blend of hardware, user experience, and ecosystem. Cook is looking for a legacy, and from reports, he appears to be pushing his staff to make it happen sooner than later.
It’s not that there isn’t utility in the idea, either. Having information about a neighbourhood projected in front you could be helpful. Moreover, designers and other creatives might find the idea of creating virtually via a headset to be quite fruitful. Perhaps a movie or game projected right into your eyes will be immersive in a way that other screens simply can’t manage.