Apple Innovation
ChatGPT, Not AR/VR, Is the New iPhone. What Should Apple Do?
Tim, ChatGPT will transform how we use computers, not VR
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Every once in a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything…
In 2007, Steve Jobs famously introduced the iPhone, and its potential for transforming how we lived, worked and entertained ourselves was clear for all to see. And it fitted into your pocket, too.
If the rumours are to be believed, Apple is trying to repeat the trick with an augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) helmet. Except, apparently, even Apple doesn’t expect it to sell more than 1 million units in the first year, and it will be “you better sit down” expensive.
Will the AR/VR helmet match the iPhone’s buzz? Who will queue in the street to buy such a product? Does anyone want to wear a helmet and battery pack for hours at a time, watching things that aren’t there?
Here’s something that does match the iPhone’s buzz: ChatGPT. Everyone is talking about it, and it is already changing the world, probably even more profoundly than the iPhone.
Should Apple change course? If so, what should it do?
Apple is betting big on VR/AR
At the time of writing, reliable sources had reached a consensus that Apple was about to launch a much-anticipated AR/VR product. This article neatly summarises it.
- The headset would have internal cameras for eye-tracking and external cameras for hand movement detection, removing the need for controllers.
- Like the Apple Watch, it would have a digital crown. When in AR mode, the crown controls the opacity of the display.
- On FaceTime, users would interact with photo-realistic avatars.
- The helmet could provide a 3D user interface for a Mac.
