Apple's silence on the 'metaverse' caught many by surprise. Facebook's rebrand generated headlines and drove a boom in virtual real estate. The vision of the metaverse put forward by Meta is fundamentally opposed to what Apple might embrace should it bring an AR/VR headset to market.
For Apple, innovative hardware is the entire point. The Metaverse may simply be an app (or apps) competing with other AR/VR experiences across multiple devices. Apple's alternative to Meta's embodied Internet will likely be a broad offering spanning iPhone, iPad, Mac, and future headsets.
The company did unveil RoomPlan, a tool that allows developers to quickly create 3D floor plans of real-world spaces. RealityOS, the operating system rumored to power Apple's upcoming headset, wasn't even teased. Apple's arrival in the space could threaten innovators like HTC, Valve, Magic Leap, Pico, Lumus, Vuzix, Pimax, and Varjo.
Apple's decision not to show its augmented reality headset at the Apple event hints that the company isn't satisfied with its progress. Meta reportedly delayed an upcoming AR headset, known as Project Nazare. The Magic Leap 2 and Microsoft HoloLens 2 seem trapped in the niche world of high-end enterprise solutions. This leaves no serious alternative to Meta's Quest 2 on the horizon.
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