As many as 1,000 engineers may be working on iPhone 8 AR technology

As if Tim Cook hadn't dropped enough hints already, further evidence has emerged that Apple will be heavily pushing augmented reality technology with the iPhone 8.

Steven Milunovich of research group UBS claims that, "according to some industry sources, the company may have over 1,000 engineers working on a project in Israel that could be related to AR."

Given Cook's recent comments, and the fact that Apple has purchased multiple AR firms including Tel Aviv's PrimeSense (focused on 3D sensing tech) and RealFace (facial recognition cyber security experts), there's gallons of fuel now ready to add to the fire.

AR > VR

Tim Cook has long sang the praises of AR tech – notably declaring his love for it over its virtual reality cousin. Describing VR as isolating, he stated that "there's no substitute for human contact" – the kind that mixed-reality AR apps can accommodate.

A "significant portion of the population of developed countries, and eventually all countries, will have AR experiences every day," said Cook previously, so it's unlikely the Apple boss man will be wanting to miss a slice of that pie.

The iPhone 8 rumors are hotting up, from a curved OLED screen to the removal of the home button to facilitate even slimmer bezels. We'll have all the iPhone 8 news and rumors right up to its expected September launch, so stay locked on TechRadar.

Gerald Lynch

Gerald is Editor-in-Chief of iMore.com. Previously he was the Executive Editor for TechRadar, taking care of the site's home cinema, gaming, smart home, entertainment and audio output. He loves gaming, but don't expect him to play with you unless your console is hooked up to a 4K HDR screen and a 7.1 surround system. Before TechRadar, Gerald was Editor of Gizmodo UK. He is also the author of 'Get Technology: Upgrade Your Future', published by Aurum Press.