Is VR Apple's next big thing? Tim Cook might think so

Few companies have had as big an impact on the lives of ordinary people worldwide as Apple has. The American tech giant has shaped much of consumer technology over the last decade and a half.

But as smartphones are reaching a plateau in terms of innovation, users (and Apple itself) are already looking towards the next big thing. The natural question is - what is it going to be?

Previously, Tim Cook was quoted as believing that Apple’s “greatest contribution to mankind” will be advancements in digital health. Over the years, the Apple Watch has received numerous advancements in that regard, with the last generation making a marked leap in the field of women’s health specifically.

Nevertheless, it is safe to say that we are far off from Apple’s end goal (if there is one) currently. Producing a true medical-grade Apple Watch is not on the horizon, and Apple’s most advanced wearable to date - the Apple Watch Ultra - has taken another direction entirely.

Hence, it seems logical to look elsewhere. This week, Tim Cook made another interesting comment that could point us to where Apple might be heading. Apple’s CEO remarked that soon “you'll wonder how you led your life without augmented reality”. This information was first brought forward by MacRumors in a dedicated article.

Now that is something we can work with. Apple is reportedly working on an AR headset that should make its debut sometime next year. While there is nothing inherently groundbreaking in AR (the concept has been lurking around in the tech community for years), Apple is best known for execution, not innovation.

Hence, Apple’s AR headset could be the device that truly brings AR into the mainstream (given how futile Meta’s attempts over the last couple of years have proven). With Google also working on a similar product (i.e. Project Iris), a new dawn in technology might be upon us.