Apple is strongly rumored to be in progress on a virtual reality headset with augmented reality capabilities, but so far, nothing solid has surfaced about what it will be called beyond leaked internal code names. That didn’t stop one of the most quoted Apple leakers from speculating about naming strategy. Clearly, Apple puts great thought into every aspect of an important new product, and poor naming can cause problems, both at launch and in the future.
Apple products are almost always successful, with the most notable exception being the HomePod. Launching late against established smart speakers from Amazon and Google, Apple aimed for the high-end market. However, the larger and better-sounding HomePod was lacking in terms of smart home functionality. Perhaps, it should have been named Apple Audio, making it more apparent that the primary focus was on sound quality, with the smart speaker capabilities added as a bonus. Naming might not make or break a product, but it’s imperative and affects future devices as well. Apple’s updated smart speaker still has the unfortunate name of HomePod mini.
Even the most quoted Apple leaker, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, doesn’t yet know the name of Apple’s AR/VR headset but ran through a list of six possible strategies and made a case for each. Unlikely choices included Apple Goggles, which Gurman described as a ‘fun’ name but doesn’t favor since the name brings to mind swimming or eye protection. Fans are often accused of seeing the world through Apple Goggles without having its branded product strapped to their head. Appending AR, VR, XR, MR, or SR seems equally unlikely because it locks the product into a particular angle on the technology. Those acronyms stand for the well-known augmented and virtual reality, along with the less used extended, mixed, and simulated reality terms. Apple has favored SR in patents, but that’s a technical term, not something to be used in marketing a product. The most likely choice is Apple Vision, and there are several good reasons to believe this will be the name.
Apple Vision AR/VR Headset?
Mark Gurman has been covering Apple products for over a decade. He has excellent insight into Apple’s thinking and has frequent contact with insiders that share juicy tidbits of information that is supposed to be secret. That means Gurman’s speculation has to be respected. Although Apple Reality was a close second, the top pick was Apple Vision. Vision would imply that the device is made for a new visual medium, which fits. Apple Reality borrows from the name of the technology while avoiding picking a particular variety and would align with the rumored rOS or reality operating system that is in development.
A few other potential names included Apple Sight or iSight. However, Apple made a webcam called iSight, so it would be reusing an old name if this is the choice. Apple Lens was mentioned, although Microsoft’s HoloLens is a similar product so that the name wouldn’t sound original, and Google Lens is well established. While Apple’s Macintosh computer was named after a popular variety of an apple, that strategy hasn’t been used again. Gurman might not have the pulse of Apple’s naming in this case since Apple View was unmentioned yet seems like a good alternative for Apple’s AR/VR headset.
Source: Bloomberg
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