There is no stopping Apple from conquering the world of technology. After rumors of it developing an electric car has surfaced, Tim Cook's team is now looking at the next big thing in gadgets-- virtual reality. Apple was recently granted a patent for a VR headset.
The public's fascination for the iPhone doesn't seem to come to an end, and Cupertino is definitely taking advantage of it. The new VR gear from Apple features a slot where the user can insert the iPhone, which will then serve as its display screen.
Apple has filed for a patent for the "head-mounted display apparatus for retaining a portable electronic device with display" at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office back in 2008, which was granted just last Tuesday, Feb. 17.
The new VR headset, as described in the patent, will be capable of both augmented and virtual reality. The Iphone will capture the scenery's data, which will then be overlayed with information or images, Quartz reported.
The news got many Apple aficionados excited, but there is a downside to it. According to reports, although the patent was filed in 2008, there is a good chance that Apple won't be launching the new product in the near future, says Apple design executive Jony Ive.
Apple may have gotten a patent for the design, but Samsung has already released a VR headset that is also compatible with its flagship phones, the Samsung Gear VR. Google also joined the virtual relaity bandwagon with its Google Cardboard.
"It would be astonishing for Apple not to be investigating VR," IHS head of mobile Ian Fogg told CNBC.
Apple has also started hiring people for its virtual reality project, it seems. Although the tech company has not confirmed it, job postings for a virtual engineer and a programmer were seen almost a week ago.
The programmer, according to the post, will be in charge of developing virtual reality and augmented reality tools and software for the company's next generation of devices.
Apple may be on the backseat for now, as Google, Samsung, and even Facebook have already gotten their hands on VR product releases, but who knows, Apple products are usually worth the wait.
