Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook rarely drops major news, either in his interviews or social media posts. Interestingly, WIRED shared an in-depth interview with Tim Cook, including questions about everything from Vision Pro’s lacklustre sales and iPhone 16 Camera Control to Apple Intelligence and Apple legacy. Cook didn’t exactly break the news, but some answers revealed a little more about himself, his plans, Apple’s strategic decisions, mixed-reality additions, and new features.
We all know Apple is exploring ways to introduce AR & VR content to its users. Apple’s first effort in the AR & VR category was its Vision Pro headset, which didn’t see a huge success. It had mixed reviews and weaker sales. Also, Cook has previously admitted that Vision Pro isn’t a mass-market product due to its high $3500 price tag.
Even now when WIRED asked Cook about the Vision Pro’s weaker-than-expected sales, he said:
“It’s an early adopter product, for people who want tomorrow’s technology today. Those people are buying it, and the ecosystem is flourishing. The ultimate test for us is the ecosystem. I don’t know if you’re using it very much, but I’m on there all the time. I see new apps all the time.”
Also, when asked if Apple Vision Pro is heading toward mixed-reality glasses like Meta and Snap, Cook said:
“Yes, it’s a progression over time in terms of what happens with form factors. AR is a huge deal. With Vision Pro, we’ve progressed to what is clearly the most advanced technology we’ve ever done, and I think the most advanced technology in the world in terms of electronics problems. We’ll see where it goes.“
This gives us a hint that Apple has plans to launch AR & VR into compact form factors. We already came across rumors and reports about Apple smart glasses. Last month, the topshot analyst Mark Gurman reported that Apple plans to launch its version of Meta Ray-Ban-inspired smart glasses. In fact, Apple has launched an internal study on the smart glasses market and gathered employee feedback. Gurman also reported that the Cupertino tech giant is planning to upgrade its wearable catalog with a Smart Ring, AirPods with Cameras, and Smart Glasses. So, might see Apple smart glasses soon.
Apart from Apple’s mixed-reality glasses, Cook also answered questions about Apple’s plan for consumer tools for medical technology on the Apple Watch and AirPods. Cook said:
“It’s clear to me that if you zoom out way into the future, and you look back and ask what Apple’s biggest contribution was, it will be in the health area. That’s what I really believe.”
Cook mentioned that they started with health features on the Apple Watch, it was as simple as monitoring your heart rate. Then, they worked on how to up heart signals to get to an EKG and an AFib determination. And now, the Apple Watch can detect Sleep Apnea. Cook also mentioned how proud they feel receiving notes over time from people who would have not survived if the Apple Watch wasn’t on their wrists.
When asked about the addition of the hearing aid feature to AirPods, Cook said they aren’t competing against hearing aids on the market. In fact, they wish to convince people who have hearing loss to use their AirPods. He added- ” The vast majority of people with hearing issues have not been diagnosed. For some people, hearing aids have a stigma, and we can counter that with AirPods. And we can have people diagnose themselves. It’s the democratization of health.”
WIRED also asked Cook if Apple is researching AI to analyze biometric data in real-time, and that’s what Cook said.
“I’m not going to announce anything today. But we have research going on. We’re pouring all of ourselves in here, and we work on things that are years in the making. We were working on hearing a long time before we got it dialed in to where we felt comfortable shipping it.”
This indicates that Apple might be Cook-ing some advanced medical features for the Apple Watch and AirPods. We’ve already heard that Apple has plans to transform its AirPods into a handy health accessory and a patent suggests that future AirPods models could detect certain heart diseases like abnormal heartbeat, tachycardia, or bradycardia.
In short, we might get to see some mind-blowing additions to Apple Watch and AirPods, which will align them more with health accessories.
The interesting and wide-ranging interview also covers Apple’s foray into AI technology, including the most useful Apple Intelligence features according to Cook, Apple’s partnership with OpenAI, and more. Also, Cook answered questions about the iPhone 16 Camera Control addition, the growing regulatory scrutiny Apple faces, his plans to leave Apple and more.
