Which Major Tech Companies Will Win The AR Race?
A recent article summarises a new report by Gene Munster, of Loop Ventures, which ranks how some of the major tech players fare in Augmented Reality race.
Google parent Alphabet was an early player in the space, with its Glass and Tango products from several years ago. Munster says that while it might be easy to write off Glass, he calls it a “before-its-time experiment,” while Tango “looks like a for-its-time experiment.” Levono’s Phab 2 Pro is already Tango-enhanced and and Acer plans to make a Tango-ready phone. These devices will use rear-facing cameras to enable the AR experience.
Apple has also been moving into the space, as CEO Tim Cook has said repeatedly in recent months. Munster speculates that the next iPhone could be the first AR hardware with mass adoption if it integrates a dedicated 3D mapping chip as expected.
Munster writes that Microsoft “may be the furthest along in AR today” thanks to its Hololens and Windows Holographic OS. He writes that Microsoft will be determined not to miss out on the AR market with its competency being in productivity, an area that’s not necessary to win the AR OS battle.
Facebook bought Oculus in 2014, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been pushing Augmented Reality product hard. Facebook is experimenting with both VR and AR.
Munster doesn’t expect Amazon to try to enter the AR wearables space, but he does think they’re a player through Alexa, and these devices will eventually come with cameras that will further this capability.
Snap has an advantage because communication is a “key use” for AR, according to Munster, so its focus on the camera as a communication tool is an advantage. He expects them to focus more on communication in AR, making them an intermediary between developers and the larger OS players.
Maybe our conclusion is disheartening: in the foreseeable future, some combination of Google, Apple, and Microsoft is likely to win the AR OS race. While not exciting, it’s logical. Apple and Google, prior OS winners, won the mobile layer. Part of the reason is that these shifts are well defined and the existing players are carefully positioning themselves to be sure that they have a seat at the table. The good news is that the future won’t always be owned by the incumbents. As we move away from purely digital technologies into ones that combine the sciences — biology, chemistry, psychology – the opportunities for new major players will emerge.