Apple to debut augmented reality content on iPhone ahead of dedicated hardware

It’s no secret that Apple is interested in augmented reality, as the company’s CEO Tim Cook has said as much publicly several times before. However, there’s now confirmation that Apple is actively pursuing the technology, with a view to introducing related functionality in an upcoming iteration of the iPhone. A team of hundreds is working on AR under the former head of Dolby’s hardware and new technologies group, Mike Rockwell, according to a report from Bloomberg. Rockwell is reporting to Dan Riccio, who helms the iPad and iPhone engineering groups, which hints at the way Apple plans to familiarize users with AR. Some engineers on the iPhone team are apparently already working on AR functionality. For instance, there’s a feature in development that would allow iPhone users to take a photograph, then isolate a single object in the image and tilt it 180 degrees. Another feature is said to use AR to superimpose digital effects and imagery over a person’s image, like the various filters offered by Snapchat. This functionality is expected to underpinned by the work of PrimeSense, a motion-sensor firm that Apple acquired in 2013. For the time being, the iPhone is the centerpiece of Apple’s AR strategy. However, looking further forward, the company hopes to launch a dedicated device that specializes in this type of content. Apple is working on a pair of glasses designed for AR, which will likely be tethered to the iPhone in a similar manner to the Apple Watch. As well as the hardware, it’s vital that an appealing spread of content is assembled to encourage users to adopt the device, which is why some features are being prepped to hit the iPhone in 2018 and beyond. While the likes of Oculus and HTC pursue virtual reality, it’s interesting to see both Apple and Microsoft concentrate their efforts on AR tech. Apple clearly has plenty of ambition when it comes to this sector, but there are still major doubts as to whether the general public has any interest. Apple introduced a squircle hump with three camera lenses on the iPhone 11 Pro, and abandoned it six years later with the redesigned iPhone 17 Pro. It seems OnePlus took some notes and plans to serve a slightly different take on Apple’s aesthetics atop its upcoming flagship phone. What’s the big picture? Ever since Apple ditched the boat-shaped notch at the top of iPhones and replaced it with the pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout, pundits have predicted that it was the road to an all-screen iPhone. But it seems that dream will have to wait for at least another generation, though the pill-shaped display cutout could shrink next year. Thinner, but not quite invisible I hope you’re ready for an entirely new iPhone experience today. Apple has already confirmed the long-awaited iOS 26 release date, which introduces the biggest update to the iPhone experience in history. This isn’t just a new software version; instead of the consecutive iOS 19 moniker, Apple has jumped ahead to iOS 26, and after using every iOS 26 developer and public beta, it’s a worthy jump.