The new iPad Pro could be paving the way for much more than the next-generation iPhone, which is expected to be called the iPhone 12 and could come with the same depth-sensing sensors as the new iPad and 5G connectivity, as Bloomberg and noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have reported.
Apple is expected to have a variety of augmented and virtual reality products in its pipeline, according to Bloomberg. Other than the iPad Pro and the iPhone 12, Apple is also reportedly planning to release a headset for augmented and virtual reality in 2021 or 2022, and a lightweight pair of AR glasses in 2023, the report says.
The iPad Pro, as well as the 2020 iPhone, could play a huge role in setting the stage for dedicated headsets down the line, as they'll be tasked with showing the general public why they may want an AR headset in the first place. If Apple does launch AR and VR eyewear of its own, it will already have plenty of competition from tech giants like Facebook and Microsoft as well as from startups like Magic Leap.
But again, making an AR headset that's as big of a hit as the iPhone could prove challenging considering much AR growth is expected to come from business and enterprise usage. The IDC, for example, predicts that there will be 16.5 million standalone AR headsets in the commercial segment by 2023, but only less than 1 million will be part of the consumer segment.
Still, that hasn't stopped Cook from being optimistic about the potential AR has to offer. After all, the technology's appeal to businesses is part of what makes AR so promising, he said on the company's fiscal Q1 earnings call.
"You rarely have a new technology where business and consumer both see it as key to them," he said. "So I think the answer is that's the reason that I think it's going to pervade your life."