When Google's self-driven automated car first came around, needless to say, the world sat back and took notice of the innovation involved. It's not even been a year since then and Apple is already in news for its first car unit waiting behind the closed doors of the company.
Apple is always in the forefront of news for one reason or the other. The most recent one being its staggering $700-billion valuation in the market. And that's more than just an inspiration for the folks over at Cupertino to go beyond iPhones, iPads, iPods and Macs and invest in something greater. This is where the Apple Car makes an entrance.
Reports are currently flooding in about how Apple has started hiring automotive and design experts to work in a top-secret research lab, with the probable intent of building a car, as reported by the Financial Times on Friday, citing several people familiar with the iPhone maker.
And even according to a Wall Street Journal report on Friday, again citing unnamed sources, Apple already has several hundred employees working on a project code-named Titan, and the reports stated that may be focused on a battery-powered minivan.
Going by whatever the reports are claiming about Apple's latest automatic ambitions, heading from the basic idea stage to final Apple Cars on the road would actually require years of testing and regulatory obstacles. Although it still is a major debate if Apple, in reality, is actually hiring for its other CarPlay in-car entertainment service.
However, if the background and seniority of the executives it is recruiting are to be taken into consideration, it might seem like Apple may be trying to build a car, reports are claiming. For example, Apple recently hired the head of Mercedes-Benz's Silicon Valley research and development unit, Johann Jungwirth.
And even if Apple is indeed planning on a new car, the idea shouldn't seem that farfetched. A USA Today report states that "Apple CEO Tim Cook need only chat up Tesla founder Elon Musk to learn about the rough roads facing the upstart automotive manufacturer – a number of speculative reports suggest it's a possibility."
And moreover, the need is bigger now, from Apple's point of view. The company's cross-town rival Google has already been hard at work for years on a self-driving car. In fact, the project inched closer to reality last month, when its gear-burdened autonomous Lexus RX models were swapped with small white pods that looked pretty sci-fi.
More details related to the Apple Car are expected to arrive in coming months. Stay tuned for more updates.
