Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) sees big opportunities in augmented reality (AR).

A report from CNET suggests that the AR technology is the next big thing for Apple, and is as big as the iPhone.

Tim Cook seems really interested in the technology. Responding a question about AR, the Apple CEO said:

“I’m excited about Augmented Reality because unlike Virtual Reality which closes the world out, AR allows individuals to be present in the world but hopefully allows an improvement on what’s happening presently. Most people don’t want to lock themselves out from the world for a long period of time and today you can’t do that because you get sick from it. With AR you can, not be engrossed in something, but have it be a part of your world, of your conversation. That has resonance,” The Independent reported.

He added that he regards AR “as a big idea like the smartphone. The smartphone is for everyone, we don’t have to think the iPhone is a certain demographic, or country or vertical market: it’s for everyone. I think AR is that big, it’s huge.”

“I get excited because of the things that could be done that could improve a lot of lives. And be entertaining. I view AR like I view the silicon here in my iPhone, it’s not a product per se, it’s a core technology. But there are things to discover before that technology is good enough for the mainstream. I do think there can be a lot of things that really help people out in daily life, real-life things, that’s why I get so excited about it,” Cook added.

Augmented reality and virtual reality

AR is a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, or graphics.

Pokemon Go is the best-known example of AR.

Reportedly, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is working with the German optics manufacturer Carl Zeiss on a pair of lightweight AR/mixed reality glasses.

Photo: Apple CEO Tim Cook / Creative Commons / Flickr