Hidden in Tuesday’s invite to the September Apple event is a clue that might confirm rumors that the company will make a major push into augmented reality.
The graphic for the invite is an apple sketched out with blue swirls. iPhone and iPad users can put that design in motion, with it seemingly appearing in the real world.
How to see the AR easter egg in September Apple event invite
To see the easter egg, go to the official Apple Events page on an iPhone or iPad. Next, tap on the blue Apple graphic you see on that web page. (It’s underneath “Add to your calendar.”) That will launch the ARKit augmented-reality viewer built into iOS/iPadOS.
The Apple graphic will appear virtually in the space behind your computer through the power of AR. And it’ll quickly begin to move, with the curved lines swirling to form “9.15,” the date of Apple’s event.
Like any well-designed AR object, Apple’s graphic is 3D. Walk around it to see the logo from any side.
iPhone 12 is expected to embrace augmented reality
Apple’s AR easter egg isn’t really coming out of nowhere. Numerous unconfirmed reports over the last few months indicate the company is about to embrace augmented reality in a big way.
Cupertino actually started the push by building a 3D scanner into the 2020 iPad Pro released this spring. The iPhone 12 supposedly will pack its own version of this lidar scanner, along with an updated AR viewer application.
Hiding an AR easter egg in the event invite suggests that Apple might unveil the iPhone 12 on September 15. However, unconfirmed reports on Tuesday indicate that the Apple Watch Series 6 and iPad Air 4 will be the big announcements. Apple reportedly will hold back the 2020 iPhones until October.
Apple’s ‘Time Flies’ event
To add further confusion, press invites include a tag line for the September Apple Event: “Time Flies.”
That could be a reference to the new Apple Watch. Or it could be a pun about the lidar scanner in the iPhone 12, which is a type of time-of-flight sensor.
