Apple is said to be negotiating key parts for its autonomous Apple car – the LiDAR sensors that would allow the vehicle to see where it is and navigate its surroundings.
Apple is negotiating with various vendors looking for LiDAR technology that will be considered cutting edge in four or five years.
Apple is already using such sensors in the iPhone 12 and iPad Pro to power low-light photography and provide augmented reality applications.
Apple makes its own driverless car. This is what a growing number of reports say, with the legendary Apple Car due to launch in five years. Apple would need to partner with an established automaker that already has an auto supply line that could be used for the Apple car.
That company would only mass produce the Apple car, with Apple doing the design, the in-car experience, and the software to power it all. The Apple car is said to be electric and does not require a driver, according to several reports. Apple is already working on these two key technologies. A new story claims Apple is already chasing the critical component that would make its self-driving car ambitions a reality.
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One of Apple’s main strengths under Tim Cook has been forging the kind of crucial partnerships that would allow it to manufacture devices on a scale that its competitors cannot. Apple doesn’t build the iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, or Mac itself – it makes millions of each of these products every year, all of which require a specific supply chain. Reports have portrayed Apple as a fierce negotiator with suppliers, who must adhere to Apple’s strict requirements for the parts they manufacture. Despite this, Apple is the kind of customer everyone wants, and their actions can make or break businesses.
According to Bloomberg, Apple has already started negotiating the purchase of LiDAR sensors, similar to those available in the iPhone 12 and iPad Pro, for the Apple Car. The sensor Apple uses in mobile devices can help with low-light photography and augmented reality features. For its car, Apple is looking for next-generation LiDAR technology that could allow a vehicle to “see” and navigate around it. Apple isn’t the only tech company to develop self-driving car technology using LiDAR technology.
The report notes that Apple is in talks with several vendors, according to people familiar with the matter. The same people said the car would be ready for mass production in five years at the earliest. Apple is in talks for LiDAR technology “which will be considered cutting edge in four to five years.”
Apple has been testing its self-driving cars on public roads in California since 2017, initially using LiDAR batteries made from off-the-shelf parts, Bloomberg notes. But in recent years, the sensor hardware has become a more bespoke endeavor.
While Apple relies on custom parts in its products, it also develops its own hardware. One example is custom chips on iPhone and Mac. Recent rumors that Hyundai and Kia were in the running to win the Apple Car contract claimed that Apple would take the same approach for Apple Car. The company would control the hardware and software, with Hyundai and Kia providing the chassis and assembling the finished product. Hyundai and Kia have both since denied working with Apple.
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Chris Smith started writing about gadgets as a hobby, and before he even knew it he was sharing his take on tech with readers around the world. Whenever he doesn’t write about gadgets, he miserably fails to walk away from them, although he desperately tries. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
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