Augmented reality on the rise in Silicon Valley
AR is already heading from smartphones to headsets in a natural evolution — and that transition was seen in products this holiday season, Bajarin said, like the $199 “Star Wars” augmented reality headset and lightsaber package, built by Disney and Lenovo, which allows users to battle AR-developed stormtroopers and Sith lords like Darth Vader.
“We see augmented reality as a powerful way to bring Disney stories to life in entirely new ways, and we’re already developing AR experiences on these new platforms when it makes sense, such as Star Wars: Jedi Challenges,” said Kyle Laughlin, Disney’s senior vice president of games and interactive experiences.
Owners of the Disney-Lenovo headset said they were impressed by the believability of the lightsaber battles. ...
Yet in the increasingly crowded race to build the first popular AR headset, Apple is best positioned for two reasons, said Bajarin: Its enormous developer community gives Apple an edge in producing apps and content for its developing headset, and it has a track record of making sophisticated technology — like wearables — commercially attractive.
“We don’t give a rat’s about being first, we want to be the best, and give people a great experience,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said about AR glasses...
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