Apple is looking to create an "entirely new application paradigm" for augmented and virtual reality according to a new job listing, highlighting the company's growing ambitions in the AR and VR space as it ramps up the development of its next-generation products.
The role will include "working closely with Apple's UI frameworks, Human Interface designers and system software teams" in building out Apple's augmented and virtual reality experiences. "This role will push you to think outside-the-box, and solve incredibly ambitious and interesting problems in the AR/VR space," the job listing adds.
Following years of research and development, Apple is expected to release its first AR-focused device in 2022. The device, likely to come in the form of a headset, will be Apple's first major push into the increasingly vibrant AR and VR space. The company's first headset is not expected to be a mainstream hit at first, with credible reports suggesting it will remain a niche product aimed largely at developers for media consumption, communication, and gaming.
Further down the line, Apple plans to release augmented reality glasses. These glasses, unlike the headset, will be in a smaller form factor and are likely to appeal more to the masses. "Apple Glasses" are expected to debut by 2025 at the earliest, with the second generation of Apple's AR headset now rumored to launch in 2024.
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you skipped the iPhone...
Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself.
Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed.
Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles."
If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes.
The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps.
In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner.
In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues.
We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!
iPhone 17 ...
Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect.
As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
AR is where it is at. Walk into a store. Look at items on the shelves. Eye tracking knows what you are looking at. HUD displays the price of the product, how often you buy the product. If you buy the product often and have run out at home, a reminder might pop up and indicate how many items would be worth purchasing (based on your purchase history).
You pick up a pack of biscuits, instantly the ingredients list pops up (no more impossibly small ingredients lists on packages). If you are someone with allergies it can warn you if their are ingreients that might cause you a problem. Perhaps even indicate a similar item that does not have something you are allergic to.
As you scan the isles looking for something, the system notices you are searching - prompting you to indicate what you are looking for. You say 'cheese', and a pop up on the display shows 'isle 14' with an arrow indicating the direction to head in.
All pricing labels, paper notices, stickers etc will all dissappear. As a store owner - when there is need to change the price of something - change it in the system and you are done. No meed to update signs or anything - customers see the new proce via their AR immediately. Add a new product to shelves, same story.
Repairing something - HUD shows which screws to remove next, their type and size by highlighting them on the item you are looking at using AR. Complete a step and it shows you the next step. Diagnosing a hardware problem, status shows on the HUD.
It goes on and on, and it is all AR. VR might be 'cool' or useful in training, but I really think AR is where it is at.
The biggest issue is to have a data interchange format that all AR devices support, image recognition that works, and the ability for people to easily create AR resources such as a repair guide for a peice of hardware, or a map of a store and where items are on shelves. The likelyhood that AR itself could be used as a tool for inputting this data in the first place is immesly high. Walk around your store amd it creats a map, look at shelves and it picks up on products and where they are located. No need to type all this data in, making it easy for people to start using in the first place.
Interesting comments here calling for a "killer app".
An anecdote: I was watching a presentation at a large mobile phone conference (GSM World, maybe) just when mobile internet was becoming available. Everyone was looking for the "killer app" that would make it take off. The presenter said "You're all looking for the killer app, but the killer app for mobile phones is voice!" The entire audience, many hundreds of mobile professionals, gave a standing ovation at that comment.
That was the view of professionals back then, and they completely failed to understand the usefulness of data on the phone. They couldn't envision anything beyond incremental progress. Look at what we have now, and realize that there is no single "killer app" for VR/AR. Entire industries will be created, and we have no idea what they will be from our perspective of today. Don't make the mistake of the phone people.
