At the moment no one doubts that Apple has a team of engineers working on an independent car-related project, though for safety reasons, the exact details have never passed.
We wanted to gather in this report all the information and rumors about a project known as Apple's Car, whether it be an automobile or a software Automatic Call Read to learn about Apple's plans.
The company, like many other technologies in the industry, is exploring how technology can become a part of and improve future cars. Apple is not exactly building its own self-driving car, but it's interested in the technology that makes it possible.
The iCar project has been kept secret for years. Already in February 2015, rumors surfaced that Apple was working on a car that would compete fully with Tesla's Elon Musk, after Business Insider published an interview with an Apple employee.
The iCar project has a code name for & # 39; Titan & # 39 ;, according to The Wall Street Journal, which confirmed there were several hundred Apple employees and developers working on a project
See article 10 wonders that Apple can give us at its next event issue.
Interview conducted by Bloomberg to CEO Tim CookIn June 2017, he suggested that Apple is working on an independent driving platform. This was supported in November 2017, when two Apple scientists published an investigation.
The scientists proposed a 3D visualization system called VoxelNet, which would work well to help autonomous cars avoid collisions with pedestrians and cyclists.
Later in 2018, we heard that Apple and VolksWagen are working together on a driverless car project that instead of being sold to the general public, they could allow moving house workers to work and vice versa.
In July of last year, the FBI arrested a former Apple employee accused of stealing company secrets and selling them to a Chinese car company. The entire case series makes it clear that the company has invested resources and money in the project.
Whatever the final product, Apple developed something related to the car, be it an autonomous driving system, an Apple Car, or just a car entertainment program. Apple has kept its project alive.
When will the Apple iCar be released?
It is clear that until we see Tim Cook on stage announcing Car, we will never know the viability of the project. And we don't know if Apple will release any car related hardware or hardware.
However, Gene Munster, Apple's analyst and visionary In previous rumors of the Apple TV service, he set the year 2020 as the launch date of the Apple Car. .
Car makers often spend five to seven years developing and designing a new model of the car, reflecting Apple's aggressive intentions and demanding their equipment. The question is whether Apple is still preparing to compete against major players in sectors such as GM, Tesla and other players.
Though it seems unpleasant at the moment. in 2015 the WSJ was an experienced communications channel that Apple is reviewing its original launch plan by 2020 and that, instead, it would improve the announcement.
The report confirmed that Apple had designated the iCar internally as a "project done" and that its purpose was to launch in 2019, after spending more than a year studying the performance of the Apple model. This is obviously no longer true, but it is all obvious.
Other reports suggest that the 2021 launch of the autonomous vehicle project will be launched. We quote here the latest acquisition of Drive startup, specializing in autonomous vehicles, which could indicate that those of Copertino are continuing their plans to build the Car.
Those of you who expect to see an Apple branded car on the streets by 2020 may be disappointed, because Apple's "shipping date" does not mean the day that consumers can buy Car.
Guggenheim analyst, Robert C Doctor, in a research memo sent to clients and published by Apple Insider In March 2018, he argued that Apple would get everything inside or in autonomous cars over the next two years, and added that his company was considering fixing everything inside.
Is Apple's private car project canceled?
If you were expecting an Apple iCar sometime in the future, things are becoming clearer. The company was seen earlier this year with more than 200 employees working on the project (this is not the first time this department has been in existence, there were illegal workers in 2016).
According to CNBC, 200 employees of the division were laid off by the end of January. CNBC had news confirmed by an Apple spokeswoman and other "party acquaintances" who said that other members of the private team would be "redirected to projects in other parts of the company, where they would support machine learning and other efforts."
That doesn't mean Apple has stopped working in the realm of autonomous cars. A spokesman confirmed to CNBC that Apple believes there is "a great opportunity with the private sector," and described the project as: "The most ambitious machine learning project ever."
What Tim Cook said about Apple Car
Apple CEO Tim Cook reunited with Bloomberg in June 2017 to talk about autonomous driving. Cook has stated that Apple will focus more on the automation process, as the mother of all Artificial Intelligence projects.
Cook did not confirm or deny whether Apple was working to produce an automated or driverless iCar, or if the technology would be used by other existing car manufacturers. "We'll see where it takes us because we don't just focus on the kind of product we are going to make."
Obviously, when Apple relies on a particular project, it means that the company starts spending huge resources and resources to move it forward, including acquisitions of companies and experts in the sector.
As usual, Cook talks somehow and riddles, but if you read between the lines, it suggests that Apple may have something to announce in the coming years, and more if we look at the peace posted on this issue in recent months.
What do analysts think of Apple & # 39; s plans for iCar
Guggenheim analyst Robert Cihra believes Apple is still working on autonomous vehicles. In June 2018, he spoke to investors claiming he wanted to repeat the hope that they would eventually introduce self-service cars.
China disagrees that Apple is content to offer the technology to other companies and thinks that Apple may produce its own car, giving it control over the design of all processes.
Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi wrote in July 2018 that "Apple could spend $ 500 billion in the implementation of an independent R&D process," as published in The Cult of Mac Report ”.
Proof that Apple has been working on its autonomous car for some years
Below, we list some rumors and evidence that shows that Apple will continue to work today in what will be the development of its autonomous vehicles.
- A former Apple employee was accused of stealing confidential information related to the company's cars. Specifically, it was Xiaolang Zhang who worked at Apple until July 2018 and was accused of stealing trade secrets.
- Zhang's case also makes it clear that not only is the car project ongoing, but also that more people are involved in the project, with approximately 5,000 employees working over 135,000.
- Apple has hired veterans in the automotive industry. To cite an example, in December 2018 he hired Andrew Kim, a builder of Tesla. He previously worked at Microsoft in the development of Windows 10 UI, HoloLens and Xbox One S.
- Apple's default driver ships. The company has 62 test car fleets and 87 drivers, according to a MacReports report from May 2018.
- The company would test its autonomous vehicles in California from April 2017, when it obtains its first permits to run tests. Apple will be collecting information for software of autonomous vehicles.
- Apple and Volkswagen Apple is partnering with others like Volkswagen building an innocent transport vehicle that can transport its employees. It looks like VW wasn't the only partner selected, since it has agreements with BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
- Apple registered ownership of air conditioning in cars, which is one of the clear evidence of its iCar, software accessible via CarPlay or an in-car interface.
- Apple executives define pilot projects for autonomous vehicles. Especially Ruslan Salakhutdinov, Apple's AI research director attended the NIPES conference and we talked a lot about some company projects.
- Apple scientists are publishing research on autonomous vehicles. With the publication of VoxelNet, there is talk of predicting the binding box on a single platform, with a direct connection from end to end.
- Apple's interaction with NHTSA. The National Highway Traic Safety Agency has been in talks with Apple about best practices and investments in machine learning and private programs.
- Apple gets approval for testing in California. According to the WSJ, Apple would receive permission to synchronize various Lexus SUV vehicles with the technology required for free-driving.
- Video shared on Twitter by @macjshiggins contributors a detailed view of hardware from Apple about the Lexus SUV. It may be a short video, but it gives us an idea of why the company works.
- Apple buys auto-related domain names. MacRumnours reported in 2016 that Apple would have bought a few domain-related domain names, including apple.car, apple.cars and apple.auto.
What features will the Apple Car have?
Although it is difficult to determine the key factors for what will become Apple's future car, the September Business Insider report gives us an idea of what the workers in the industry want the car to be like.
According to the report, developers are thinking the following:
- Automatic doors that open and close silently.
- The interior without the steering wheel or the foundations of its autonomous system.
- Virtual or unpleasant reality is embedded in internal screens for entertainment purposes.
- Spherical wheels would allow the car to spin on its side.
- Development of a more advanced driving program.
The project, over time, has changed the course since it came out, so it's likely that these features haven't changed, which means Apple won't upgrade the car once it makes the CarOS program.
What will the Apple iCar look like?
In the past The traffic website TopSpeed has created a hobby of its own what the Car would look like. Unlike traditional cars, the roof of a car is where most of its technology would be.
Apple iCar: Patents
The car would be compatible with the benefits of some product devices, as happened with the iPhone and Apple Watch, among others. Therefore, the patent allows to unlock the car or even park it from the iPhone device itself.
Another exciting patent shows the technological design of the camera included on the front of the car, to allow you to touch the touch that will be accompanied by voice commands.
Another patent from 2012 focuses on the configuration of the car to suit the individual driver in each case, altering the variables of his predefined tastes. You can enter someone else's car and use the settings.
In relation to communications and the environment, it is defined by a motor-based communication system, updating the dashboard to highlight obstacles, emergency vehicles or blind spots.
The patent does not define technology as an autonomous driving vehicle, but compares it to the more advanced version of parking sensors and the assistance of a blind spot found in modern production vehicles.
What does Apple's competition do?
The Google project has the code name Waymo. The company claims to "create the most experienced driver" with the slogan used on a dedicated website.
According to a Business Insider source from August 2017, the development of Apple's self-driving technology was at the same stage as Google three years ago. The source is said to be familiar with the technology of several independent car projects, and has experienced firsthand the technology of Apple cars.
A source says that "Apple is just trying to get involved" despite progress in the self-driving technology, suggesting that Apple's car systems may not go as planned and will wait to see results from Other products
Apple rumors iCar: Prices
Although no final price tag was reported, we can get an idea by looking at the solutions that the competition has in the market. This is the case with Tesla cars, as both companies are now competitors in the automotive industry.
Tesla's electric S model has a starting price of about € 94,300 with the integrated technology package, something we think the iCar will turn out as usual. If Tesla is the standard, the iCar won't be the cheapest car.
On the other hand, a team of technical analysts from Jefferies & Co suggests that Apple's iCar price can be below and below the average price of about $ 55,000. Remember that at present, the price of The Tesla Model S Standard 75D with a 490 Km autonomy has a starting price of € 69,320.
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