I XR viewers and the car that Apple wants to launch in the next few years do not aim to revolutionize the market: Cupertino relies on a pragmatic approach. Apple will be willing to compromise, according to the expert Mark Gurmanin order to launch the products on the market.
XR viewers and cars, Apple focuses on the pragmatic
In his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg expert Mark Gurman analyzes what he thinks is Apple’s new attitude: focus on the concrete. Gurman explains that the Apple rarely hits the market first: Sony’s Walkman arrives before the iPod, the Palms and the BlackBerrys anticipated the iPhone, Microsoft’s tablets beat the iPads on time. But Cupertino usually aims to revolutionize the market created by others: with the iPod wheel, large screens and the iPhone and iPad App Store.
However, with cars and mixed reality headsets, it will focus more on the concrete. The goal remains the one reaffirmed several times by Tim Cook and Steve Jobs, to be the best even if not the first. But according to Gurman, she will be more willing to compromise with these new products.
The mixed reality viewer, for example, will focus on a distinctive design and powerful Apple processors, as well as xrOS, the new operating system. But according to Gurman it will not achieve “true augmented reality”. It will be a VR viewer capable of using cameras for something that brings us closer to that goal. But it’s not perfect yet, because the technology isn’t there yet. Instead of waiting for the perfect pair of glasses, capable of replacing an iPhone in everything, Apple compromises.
The same will happen with Apple’s self-driving car, which it has been developing since the early 2010s. Apple’s goal here was the ability to make the car move without a steering wheel and pedals: launch a car with the highest level of autonomous driving (level 5).
But instead of waiting to have the technology ready for this launch, it appears the Tim Cook-led company is ready to launch in 2026 a car with a steering wheel and pedals. Which will be autonomous on the motorway or freeway, but which will require you to get back behind the wheel in the city.
In other words, Mark Gurman thinks Apple’s new products will be interesting, but not “game-changers” like the iPod and iPhone. Less ideal, more practical.