Apple has confirmed the purchase of an augmented reality company called Mira, although it isn’t known how much money changed hands to get the deal done.
The buyout confirmation comes after Apple entered the world of AR and VR headsets with the announcement of its Vision Pro headset. The headset was finally announced during the WWDC 2023 event on June 5 following years of rumors.
As for Mira, the company has contracts with the US Air Force as well as the Navy, and it isn’t yet clear whether those contracts will continue now that it is under Apple’s umbrella.
An Apple reality
The Verge was the first to report on the buyout, with Apple confirming the move.
“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans,” Apple reportedly told the outlet. That response was essentially a boilerplate response for Apple, however.
Mira is also the company behind the Mario Kart ride at Nintendo World with the headset displaying in-ride characters and items.
The Verge reports that Apple has brought at least one of Mira’s employees under its wing, with CEO Ben Taft’s Instagram saying that the acquisition comes after a “7-year journey from dorm room to acquisition.”
Apple has yet to confirm its plan for Mira, but the company is sure to become part of the Vision Pro story. Apple’s headset was hugely impressive during its announcement during the WWDC opening keynote and expectations are now higher than ever — despite the eyewatering $3,499 asking price. Worryingly for buyers, that’s the price that the headset will start at as well, so questions remain surrounding what that actually means in terms of upgrades.
The Vision Pro headset will go on sale in early 2024, Apple says. How early in 2024, we’ll have to wait and see.
We’re covering all the WWDC 2023 announcements live and as they happen. Don’t miss all our Apple Vision Pro, iOS 17, macOS Sonoma, iPadOS 17, and watchOS 10 news so far.
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