There are many reasons why the Apple Vision Pro is the talk of the town. We are discovering numerous features and capabilities thanks to its development kit, developers are actively testing applications and exploring the software’s potential, and in short, we all continue to be amazed by what Apple has presented.
One more reason why the Vision Pro is making headlines is that Google has decided not to directly compete with the product. Well, sort of, because it will indirectly compete, but in a potentially more significant way. Google has canceled the Google Iris, but it continues to focus on developing its software.
Google already has experience in augmented reality
Let’s briefly recap Google’s journey in the field of augmented reality. In 2013, Google made an early move in the market with Google Glass, a pair of augmented reality glasses that, despite their innovation, didn’t gain much traction as a consumer product. Due to their somewhat eccentric design and the potential privacy concerns surrounding their ability to discreetly record video, even technology enthusiasts were hesitant to embrace them, and Google halted consumer sales in 2015. Since then, Google shifted its focus to the enterprise sector but also discontinued its two Enterprise Editions earlier this year.
The Project Iris, which we first heard about in 2022, seemed to be Google’s hope to rejoin the augmented reality race. However, according to Business Insider, Google has canceled the project this year. It’s worth mentioning that there have been ongoing changes in Google’s strategy regarding augmented reality.
And now he would bring a key piece, the one he does best
Augmented reality, like almost any emerging technology, heavily relies on the underlying operating system and the ecosystem surrounding it. In this realm, Apple holds a considerable advantage with its robust operating system, which has been instrumental in the success of products like the iPhone and iPad.
What makes the Vision Pro special? One might think it’s the hardware, the design, or the fact that it’s an Apple product, but what drives the success of this product is the software. Apple has done a job here that no other player in the current industry has been able or willing to do. iPad applications, without any adaptation, can run on the Vision Pro. But that’s just the beginning; the appeal that Apple offers to developers is evident when exploring the development environment. What we already know about SwiftUI is enough to create a complete app in visionOS.
And when we finish our creation, a couple of clicks open it up to an international market where, being a novel platform, we have many options to attract attention. This is what Apple brings to the table. This is the distinction of the Vision Pro compared to the competition, where either there is not a sufficient development environment or, if there is, it is experimental and without the possibility of releasing the created apps.
It’s not a matter of taking away credit from the magnificent hardware that the Vision Pro is, but in the eyes of many developers, it is clear that visionOS is the key. And this is where the dual reading of the competition that Google could represent for Apple comes in. If the Mountain View company can replicate the formula that worked for them with Android by creating a robust and versatile software platform, they could secure a good position in the augmented reality industry.
Competition in this field would undoubtedly be positive for the development of the technology. It would bring a diversity of approaches and solutions that could stimulate innovation and lead to new advancements. And with Google’s experience in developing Android, a well-designed AR platform could become the preferred choice for many hardware manufacturers who do not have the capacity to create their own system, just as it happened with smartphones.
This approach would allow Google to compete in its preferred playing field: software. The folks at Mountain View have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to develop efficient and effective software platforms, and they could be in a unique position to do it again with AR. And that brings us to the complete picture because this competition could be the best support that Apple could receive. By removing the barrier of software development, more manufacturers could join the augmented reality movement, and before we know it, repeat what the first iPhone represented for the technology industry: a paradigm shift.
Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.
