Apple has announced signing a multi-year licensing agreement with Imagination Technologies for ray-tracing capabilities. As per the terms of the deal, Apple will add racing capability, a realistic graphics technology, in its chips soon.

Imagination focuses on ray tracing

Imagination is engaged in developing ray tracing capability, a realistic graphics technology that allows the devices to render graphics with ultra-realistic reflections, graphics, and shadowing (which resembles the light rays as seen by human eyes).

Imagination began promoting the ray tracing technology to the competitors of Apple. It is at this time Apple showed interest in using a high power-efficient solution in its mobile chips. The new technology could create wonders in pocket-sized devices.

Mobile ray tracing in augmented reality

Mobile ray tracing technology of Imagination will play a vital role in augmented reality. One can wear a pair of AR glasses and walk around the virtual objects that could look real by absorbing the light.

Other companies working on ray tracing technology include Qualcomm, a mobile chip competitor of Apple. Qualcomm was hiring engineers’ way back in 2018 to work on racing technology. However, Imagination, a British company, holds the lead in the race. Imagination has been working on new technology for over eight years. It could improve visual quality with the help of edge cloud computing and 5G.

Apple reunited with Imagination

Apple has reunited with Imagination after its break up in 2017. Imagination has been providing graphics processors for the iPad and iPhone. When suddenly Apple terminated the licensing agreement, Imagination retrenched some GPU engineers and divested its MIPS CPU division. Imagination later divested the balance business at a loss to a private firm based in China.

2020 becomes a landmark year for Apple

Apple will introduce up to six new iPhones making 2020 a landmark for the company. iPhone 12 will boast notable upgrades among the six expected new models this year. According to Digitimes, Apple will introduce a budget iPhone at just half the price of existing models. The LCD based model will feature 5.5 inches or 6.1 inches screen. Apple expects to launch this model by the end of 2020 or in early 2021.