AAPL Stock: Tim Cook Is Working on Something Big at Apple Inc.
Here’s What Tim Cook Is Cooking Up
Tech conglomerate Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) grew by leaps and bounds under Steve Jobs reign. The late CEO turned AAPL stock into one of the market’s greatest success stories.
But after his departure, questions remain as to whether Apple can innovate beyond its current lineup of products. “Project Titan” (also dubbed the Apple “iCar”), which is the next big project underway, is also touted to be Jobs’ brainchild. Nonetheless, Tim Cook may now be cooking up something big at the Cupertino headquarters that will prove the Apple stock bears wrong—for good.
Apple has announced its biggest move in the world of virtual reality (VR) this week. As was rumored earlier and now officially confirmed, Apple has acquired Faceshift, a private Swiss company engaged in creating VR face-sensing animations. (Source: “Apple Has Acquired Faceshift, Maker Of Motion Capture Tech Used In Star Wars,” TechCrunch, November 24, 2015.)
Is Apple Entering Big in the Gaming World?
Faceshift’s coolest feature is its ability to detect your facial expressions in real-time, allowing users to create fun avatars. The software has made a recent appearance in the new installment of Disney’s Star Wars franchise, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. So far, the use of Faceshift’s technology has been limited to animated content production for Hollywood movies, but the software has a great deal of potential in the gaming industry, where VR, augmented reality, and motion sensing tech and wearables are gaining massive popularity and hype.
Two years ago, Apple also acquired PrimeSense, the company that introduced the 3D body sensing technology we’ve all seen in Xbox’s motion sensing device, “Kinect,” which adds a VR dimension to Microsoft Corporation’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) gaming consoles. All this begs one question: is Apple really making a serious move for the gaming industry?
I’ve long been a proponent of a full-fledged Apple gaming console. (Read: “AAPL Stock: This Could Be a Game-Changer for Apple Inc.”) Should Apple venture into the gaming world, the company might even have the right technology at hand to create and publish its own gaming content, which could potentially threaten publishers like Electronic Arts and Activision Blizzard. Nonetheless, the current announcement should definitely scare the console duopoly of Microsoft and Sony Corp.
Additionally, the same technology can go beyond just a gaming console, to remotely controlling other Apple devices. This could create the biggest machine-to-machine ecosystem for “iOS”-based Apple devices. You never know if the rumored Apple car, for instance, might integrate bodily gestures or facial motion sensing. Alternatively, the company’s “Apple Pay” service might, in the future, integrate biometric identification or facial recognition in authorizing payments. The possibilities are endless.
The Bottom Line on AAPL Stock
Apple is the biggest U.S. corporation in terms of revenue and the biggest contributor to the S&P 500 index, in terms of earnings. AAPL stock, however, tells another story. The stock, although up more than eight percent in its year-to-date run, has been oscillating randomly over the last three months, despite a solid performance in the same quarter. But Apple’s latest foray into the world of virtual reality means great news for Apple stock in the days to come.
Rest assured, AAPL stock now appears to be one solid investment for long-term value-seekers.
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