According to a rumor from earlier this year, it has been suggested that Apple could be working on a new accessory similar to the Tile tracker. For those who are unfamiliar, the Tile tracker is a small Bluetooth accessory that you slip into a bag or hang off a keychain. It has been designed to help users keep track of their items using their phones.
This is something that Apple is apparently interested in, but according to a recent report from MacRumors, it appears that Apple’s Tile-like tracker could have added functionality. The report suggests that based on evidence discovered in the Find My app bundle, there is an ARKit “star” image that suggests that this accessory could have some kind of augmented reality support.
Perhaps it could be used in a way where an AR interface can be overlaid on the screen to point the user towards where the tracker is, or maybe tell them how far away it is, and so on. Also, it suggests that the device could be tethered to an iPhone or an Apple Watch. Given that it would be hard to physically attach such an accessory to a phone or watch, this tethering would allow users to receive alerts when the tracker is out of range of an iOS or watchOS device.
There is no word on when this tracking accessory is expected to launch, but there have been some evidence to suggest that it is in the works. Perhaps we’ll learn more about it at Apple’s iPhone event this September.
Filed in . Read more about Augmented Reality (AR). Source: macrumors