In a note to clients — as noted by Business Insider — UBS analyst Steven Milunovich says Apple may have 1,000-plus engineers working on augmented reality (AR) and expects to see AR features on the “iPhone 8.”
![](/wp-content/uploads/archive/84C511A1-9184-4D20-9270-19DD0AEE0B69.jpeg)
![](/wp-content/uploads/archive/84C511A1-9184-4D20-9270-19DD0AEE0B69.jpeg)
He thinks this could include moderate 3D mapping and possibly an AR software development kit. Milunovich says Apple is more interested in AR = than virtual reality (VR), because the former connects people whereas the latter is often an isolating experience involving a headset that renders the user blind to the real world.
AR takes the existing environment and adds a new layer of information to it. For instance, AR apps let you hold up a phone with images superimposed onto the real-world view seen through the camera screen.
![](/wp-content/uploads/archive/6E08B822-9965-443D-BD89-4B5837CF2A44.jpeg)
![](/wp-content/uploads/archive/6E08B822-9965-443D-BD89-4B5837CF2A44.jpeg)