Under these extraordinary circumstances we live in, the biggest problem for technology companies is keeping up with demand. Companies work with thousands of suppliers for all kinds of technological tools that have become more integrated into business processes as people stay at home, ultimately coming out with products that appeal to the end-user, such as mobile phones, computers, tablets, and cameras.

With an announcement made on its website, Apple stated that production capacity will be increased by investing an additional $410 million in the optics manufacturer II-VI , with whom it has been working since 2017 and previously invested $390 million. Another aspect of the matter is that this capacity increase will provide job opportunities for 700 people.

Apple’s partnership with II-VI is part of the company’s plan to invest $430 billion across the US and add 20,000 new jobs over the next five years. II-VI manufactures vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) that help power Face ID, Memoji, Animoji, and Portrait mode selfies. Apple also works with II-VI to manufacture the lasers used in the LiDAR Scanner. This technology helps deliver faster, more realistic augmented reality —AR— experiences, assisting with autofocus in low-light scenes for photos and videos.

In my opinion, it would be wrong to think that such a large capacity increase and partnership will be solely for iPhones. It should be evaluated as an important step already taken to address the supply issues of potential AR glasses likely to arrive in the coming years. Indeed, II-VI’s CEO Dr. Vincent Mattera Jr. kind of answers the question on everyone’s mind by stating, ‘The partnership between Apple and II-VI sets the stage for a new wave of breakthrough technologies that we believe will enable a wide range of applications that will benefit our world for decades to come.’ As user expectations rise significantly, we will all see what the future holds for the Apple augmented reality glasses.