Apple Has 1,000 Engineers Working on AR in Israel [Report]

Apple has 1,000 engineers working on augmented reality in Israel, reports UBS analyst Steven Milunovich in a new research note.

"According to some industry sources, the company may have over 1,000 engineers working on a project in Israel that could be related to AR," he writes.

Apple has made numerous AR-related acquisitions in the past including:
● PrimeSense (3D sensing company, based in Tel Aviv)
● Metaio (software company that lets you apply different colors and finishes to products, based in Germany)
● RealFace (facial recognition, based in Tel Aviv)


Apple CEO Tim Cook has also expressed his interest in AR on multiple occasions. Recently he called it 'a big idea like the smartphone'. Augmented reality lets you add a layer of information to your existing environment rather than virtual reality which creates a new one.

UBS thinks that we could see AR integrated into the next iPhone expected later this year. It may include "moderate 3D mapping ... and possibly an AR software development kit." Supporting this is a recent report from KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who said that the rumored iPhone 8 with edge-to-edge OLED display will feature a 'revolutionary' front camera with 3D sensing capabilities.

Another recent report allegedly confirmed with an employee that hardware for the 'iPhone 8' is being created at Apple's office in Herzliya, Israel.

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[via BI]