Apple's most recent acquisition, Akonia Technologies, is the clearest sign thus far of Apple's intent to enter the head-mounted augmented reality market. Previous acquisitions in the space have included pass-through AR firm Vrvana, which Apple acquired earlier this year for $30 million. And while Apple has been reluctant in the past to comment on any short or long-term plans to enter the HMD market, Apple has continued to spark speculation from pundits that a release sometime in late 2020 is increasingly likely.

Greenlight Insights projects two separate roads to designing a head-mounted display based on their most recent major acquisitions in the immersive tech space, each outlined with its own barriers and advantages in the development of a final device.

The remainder of this analysis from Greenlight Insights is part of our Augmented Reality Intelligence Service, which contains on-demand access to data, analysis, and insights.