Tim Cook keeps talking about why this one technology will 'pervade' our lives in the future

• Apple CEO Tim Cook discussed the potential he sees in augmented reality yet again on the company's fiscal first-quarter earnings call on Tuesday.
• He said the reason he believes it could "pervade your life" is because it will play a big role both in the enterprise and in the consumer market, which he described as a rare trait among emerging technologies.
• It's not the first time Cook has talked up the potential of augmented reality, but it provides yet another hint that the tech will be an important part of Apple's future products.
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For years, Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that he believes augmented reality - a technology that lays digital images and graphics over the real world - will play an important role in how we use technology in the future. Back in 2016, he even said that using the tech would become as normal as "eating three meals a day."

During Apple's fiscal first-quarter earnings call on Tuesday, Cook shared some insight as to why he sees potential in AR. The Apple CEO says it's because AR is already gaining traction in both the enterprise space and in everyday usage among consumers.

"This is the reason I'm so excited about it," Cook said during the call. "You rarely have a new technology where business and consumer both see it as key to them. So I think the answer is that's the reason that I think it's going to pervade your life."

Cook's comments aren't necessarily surprising since they echo similar remarks he's made in the past. But they provide yet another indication that augmented reality technology will likely play an important role in Apple's future products

The company is rumored to be working on a variety of new products centered around augmented reality, including an AR and virtual reality headset that could launch in 2021 or 2022, according to Bloomberg. Apple is also said to be developing smart glasses with AR capabilities that may be released in 2023, the publication reported.

But in the more immediate future, we'll probably see AR play a bigger role in the iPhone and iPad. Apple is reportedly planning to bring three-dimensional cameras that are better suited for digitally reconstructing real-world surroundings to its next iPhone and iPad Pro, reports Bloomberg.

Apple already offers tools to help developers build high-quality apps for iPhones and iPads through its ARKit framework. But it's unclear precisely how quickly consumers and app developers are adopting the technology. Cook added on the earnings call that there are currently thousands of apps that are ARKit-enabled and more are coming. There are more than 2 million apps in Apple's App Store.

But Cook sees the technology as playing a larger role in our lives both at the office and at home.

"It's going to go across business and your home life," he said on the call. "And I think these things will happen in parallel."