Bigger than the iPhone: The T288 Era

Dear fellow investor, After extensive research, we now believe the smartphone era as we know it will end on September 15, 2021, at 1pm Eastern. When Apple announces a new product launching what CEO Tim Cook has called “the most profound technology of the future.” Now, if you’ve missed out on game-changing inventions that launched whole new markets like the iPhone… The iPad… And the Apple Watch… (Notice what those all have in common?) Then I have good news. Because experts believe that the new “T288 era” could grow to 42 times bigger than the iPhone! (And 22 times Apple’s total revenue.) This US$7 trillion potential market could be simply larger than anything we’ve ever seen unfold since the birth of the internet itself. (And in fact, estimates believe it could grow to more than three times the internet’s value.)

Chart refers to USD.

And while Apple has been quietly assembling the pieces for this technological revolution for more than a decade — we now believe that their plans are finally ready to come to fruition with an announcement slated for just a few short weeks from now. Media, government, business, even the military are all seemingly united in their certainty that “the T288 era” could ripple out and transform every corner of the global economy. As you can imagine, with a shift of this potential magnitude… It’s no surprise our analysts believe it could be the driving force behind many of the market’s biggest winners in the years to come. Now, we believe the “T288 era” will be unprecedented in the size and scope of opportunity it could unlock… But we believe that in many ways it will follow the same trajectory of past product launches by Apple. Let’s take a look at the iPhone and what it did for the smartphone market. You may not know this, but the very first smartphone came to market all the way back in 1992. And for years, the market just steadily grew without a ton of progress. By 2006, there were US$5 billion worth of smartphone sales…which isn’t exactly a world-changing trend. In 2007, Apple released the first iPhone, and the following year its sales ballooned by 736%! Now, I don’t need to dive into the details here, because everyone knows what happens next… After smartphones had existed for 15 years without making much of a dent on the world, they suddenly experienced a massive wave of rapid growth that has delivered smartphones to over 6 billion people worldwide. According to independent estimates, the global smartphone market is worth US$785 billion today. That’s 150-fold growth from 2006.

Chart refers to USD.

Smartphones were a pretty small niche until Apple got involved. Then it blew the whole market open and launched the incredibly lucrative “smartphone era.” Emphasizing the simple point that Apple doesn’t just launch new PRODUCTS; It launches new ERAS. Let’s take another example, because Apple didn’t just transform smartphones. It also transformed wearables. Back in 2010, Fitbit released its first step counter. And it made a splash, for sure, in a small niche. By 2014, wearables had hit an estimated US$1.5 billion in global annual sales. Again — just like smartphones, it was a small niche. Not life-changing by any means. Of course, we all know what happened next. In late 2014, Apple announced the incoming Apple Watch, which then launched in April 2015. And, as you probably remember, Apple promptly took first place in the smartwatch market. In fact, despite launching 1/3 of the way through the year, the Apple Watch accounted for more than 50% of total global smartwatch sales in 2015. Sales exploded, lifting all boats. And today the global wearables market is estimated at US$116 billion. That’s not smartphone level yet, by any means. In part because the technology is about 20 years newer… so it’s had quite a bit less time to ramp up… But still good enough to yield 77-fold growth in just six years.

Chart refers to USD.

Again — after five years of the wearables market being a pretty sleepy niche, Apple stepped in and launched a new era of rapid growth with the Apple Watch. And 77-fold growth in the overall wearables market in just six years is certainly impressive! I could go in-depth on more examples — tablets with the iPad, earbuds with Air Pods, to start — but you can see the same trend I can:

Apple doesn’t just launch new PRODUCTS; It launches new ERAS.

And we now believe Apple is poised to do the same thing… but on a far grander scale. Because estimates believe the “T288 era” could be worth a whopping US$7 trillion in annual sales — which far exceeds even the hottest trends we’ve recently covered at The Motley Fool. Just to put that number in context, it’s:

150x the 5G services market

112x the value of Artificial Intelligence

Even 8x the value of all of last year’s e-commerce sales!

Chart refers to USD.

That’s transformative. And fortunately, we believe that growth is still in front of us. But on September 15, 2021, at 1pm Eastern, we believe Apple’s announcement of its new “T288” product could blow this market wide open — just like the iPhone did for smartphones, and just like the Apple Watch did for wearables. And that’s a big deal, not just for Apple, but also for the little-known companies throughout its supply chain and related industries we believe could be poised to be “hidden winners” of the “T288 era.” More on that in a moment, but first it’s important for you to know that:

Apple has been quietly preparing for this moment for more than a decade.

Our years-long investigation into Apple has uncovered patents, leaks, and data pointing all the way back to mid-2008 as the inception of the idea for the “T288 era.” The earliest indication we had that Apple was working on something new came courtesy of patent #20090313584, which Apple filed for back in June 2008.

And while it may not look like much… We think it represents nothing less than the very genesis of a new technological era. Perhaps even a radical transformation of how we interact with reality around us. And in the years since, Apple has quietly assembled the pieces for the game-changing announcement we’re predicting is just a few weeks away. From secretly acquiring technical startups including Mataio, Faceshift, Emotient, and Flyby Media… To hiring Jeff Norris, the founder of the Mission Operations Innovation Office at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab… Quietly assigning hundreds of engineers to a secret project known only by the designation “T288”… Even requiring whole teams to wear police-grade body cameras to try and prevent leaks! It’s clear that Apple has been working on something transformative. And if you review the dozens of patents they’ve filed since 2008, as I have… You’ll notice a very clear trend, all stemming from that first patent I shared with you above. They shape, refine, and tweak its vision — but they’re all predicated on the same simple, yet transformative idea: They all detail a future with no more screen in your hand, no more typing at a keyboard, no more devices. It’s about technology moving onto its next stage. Technology overlaid onto the real world, thanks to breakthroughs in augmented reality. And on September 15, 2021, at 1pm, I believe Apple is preparing to announce its newest product, the first results from project T288… Augmented reality glasses. Apple’s had lots of time to learn from the mistakes Microsoft and Facebook made with their HoloLens and Oculus products, and even the failed Google Glass. Unlike these, we believe Apple Glass will be sleek and nondescript — in keeping with the “less is more” aesthetic Steve Jobs planted deep in Apple’s culture, and which of course has led to so many successful Apple product launches in the last decade. And just like…

The iPhone revolutionized smartphones…

The iPad revolutionized tablets…

Apple Watch revolutionized wearables…

And the iPhone 12 revolutionized 5G…

I firmly believe Apple Glass will revolutionize the augmented reality market. Unlocking US$7 trillion in estimated sales… and launching “the T288 era.”

Chart refers to USD.

Apple CEO Tim Cook believes augmented reality “is going to change the way we use technology forever.” He even went so far as to call it “the next big thing.” And given the widespread potential economic and financial impacts we’ve already discussed from estimated US$7 trillion potential at stake… you can see why!

And here’s what really convinced me that the “T288 era” could be the biggest profit story of the decade:

Consider this: Apple has a US$2.6 trillion market cap. It’s one of the largest companies on earth! If you’re that size, you can’t afford to go after small fish — a few hundred million here, a billion dollars there. You have to swing for the fences if you want to deliver meaningful growth. With US$7 trillion on the line, well, that pretty much defines a “home run opportunity.” If only Apple can reach out and take it. That’s precisely what I believe they’re planning to do on September 15. And given its impressive track record — I mean, seriously, when was the last time Apple failed at anything it tried to do? — I have every reason to believe they have everything they need to launch this new era. Now, here’s something that may surprise you… Over the course of more than a decade tracking Apple, researching its supply chain, really getting to know the company’s DNA, a “pattern” began to emerge. Let me explain… As we’ve already discussed in great detail, Apple has a real talent for disruption. When it has entered a market, as we’ve covered above, historically that’s been a catalyst for explosive growth. And that growth has lifted several boats, not just Apple’s. I mean, think about it: The markets we’ve talked about — smartphones, a US$785 billion market; wearables, a US$116 billion market — they’re simply big enough to support multiple winners! So of course Apple isn’t the sole beneficiary when it steps in and disrupts the market. But it turns out… Apple’s not even the main beneficiary. Each time it has launched a new era, smaller “hidden winners” have emerged…

And these “hidden winners” have FAR outperformed Apple!

That’s no easy feat. I mean, let’s face it, just look at Apple’s business growth since it announced the iPhone in January 2007…

Chart refers to USD.

That’s led to 5,146% gains for Apple shareholders since then! More than fifty-fold returns! If you had invested $50,000 in Apple shares the day Steve Jobs announced the iPhone (January 9, 2007) and held through until today, those shares would now be worth… drumroll, please… $2.6 million! But two iPhone suppliers have FAR outperformed Apple since then. Take Innox Corp, which produces OLED displays which are in the iPhone. As I mentioned, Apple’s up 5,146% since the iPhone launch in January 2007. Innox, by contrast, is up 19,829%. That’s nearly 4x the returns! And, again, let’s just turn that into dollars and cents. As I mentioned, if you’d invested $50,000 in Apple on January 9, 2007, you’d have turned that into a little more than $2.6 million. That’s awesome. Long-term Apple shareholders should be very happy with that outcome. Innox would have turned that $50,000 into $9.9 million. Now THAT’s life-changing.

Chart refers to USD.

Or take Sanan Optoelectronics, which make mini-LED chips for the iPhone. Since Apple introduced the iPhone, Sanan Optoelectronics shares are up 21,865%. (Or more than 4x Apple’s returns over the same time period.) Dollars and cents? Take $50,000, and turn it into $10.9 million.

Chart refers to USD.

$10.9 million. And this is really critical, because frankly it’s the same opportunity… same thesis… same market transformation… Smaller stock. Better research. Bigger returns! Plain and simple. Let’s take another example. Tablets. Another market that Apple seriously revolutionized, as we all know. Since January 27, 2010, the day Apple introduced the iPad, Apple is up 2,236%. Yet another fantastic return for Apple shareholders. And a still better return for shareholders in NVIDIA (ticker: NVDA), the graphics and microprocessor maker that’s been key to the tablet market… And of course, NVIDIA is a stock that many Motley Fool members should recognize, as it’s a long-term pick in Motley Fool Stock Advisor. Since the iPad’s launch, NVIDIA has beaten Apple more than two-to-one; it’s up 5,087%. Of course, Motley Fool members who got in with the U.S. Stock Advisor recommendation on December 18, 2009 — just ONE MONTH before Apple announced the iPad, pretty similar timing to what we’re predicting today with Apple’s augmented reality device — well, they’ve done even better, up 5,141%. Either way, more than 2x Apple’s return! To summarize… With three years less time on the clock than the iPhone, so far $50,000 invested in Apple would still have grown to $1.1 million and some change. NVIDIA would have grown that same $50,000 to $2.6 million!

Chart refers to USD.

So again… it’s all about going deeper than “just buying Apple.” Final example, and I’ll make it quick because it’s the same point, but I think it’s just really important for you to see the clear trend here… the consistent outperformance vs Apple by these “hidden winners.” Apple Watch was announced in September 2014. It promptly revolutionized the wearables market, as we all know. And of course, it drove a great need for chips and processors to meet that expanded demand. Apple’s up 573% since then. Tech manufacturing company AMD, which makes — you guessed it — chips and processors… Is up 2,083%. More than three times Apple’s return. I could keep going, but you get the point. From the iPad with tablets, to the iPhone with smartphones, to the Apple Watch with wearables… “Hidden winners” have FAR outperformed Apple each time it has launched a new “era.” And we have every reason to believe that history is poised to repeat itself — yet again. Because if “hidden winners” could drive 19,000%+ returns off the US$785 billion smartphone market… And if “hidden winners” could drive 5,000%+ returns off the US$258 billion tablet market… And if “hidden winners” could even drive 570%+ returns off the US$116 billion wearables market… Just how much growth could we see off a US$7 trillion market? So you can see now why the “T288 era”… if it turns out to be something that’s so much larger than anything we’ve previously discussed…really could be able to drive some pretty incredible gains. And you can see why “just buying Apple” could be a multi-million-dollar mistake! Failing to identify the “right” stocks in time could mean missing out on the bulk of the gains. And remember — September 15 is just around the corner — so there’s very little time left. Apple hasn’t made the announcement yet. And so, unlike the iPhone, and wearables, and the iPad, and 5G… this opportunity is STILL ahead of us. There’s still time to buy what we view as the “hidden winners” of this next era. There’s just not MUCH time. Fortunately, we’ve built a solution tailor-made for this moment:

Augmented Reality & Beyond. Our top U.S. stocks for the “T288 era” — all in one place!

Now, you can search around the internet for “top augmented reality stocks” and find plenty of huge conglomerates that have the same growth problems that Apple faces… But our goal in Augmented Reality & Beyond is to really find the growth stories that we think can deliver the truly outsized returns of “hidden winners.” And that’s why the median pick in Augmented Reality is 1/79th the size of Apple by market cap.

Chart refers to USD.

1/79th the size of Apple. From where I sit, that’s a lot of upside potential. Yes please. And to be honest, I expect even the most plugged-in Fool member has probably never seen quite a few of these stocks before. Mostly because many of them have never been recommended anywhere at The Motley Fool outside Augmented Reality and Beyond. They’ve been exclusive to Augmented Reality and Beyond’s scorecard. And just a few examples:

The little-known U.S. stock leading the digital transformation charge in unexpected industries — like factories. Its products are designed to target many of these industries that just haven’t digitized yet… From where I sit, pretty much the definition of a “hidden winner” that the market simply hasn’t recognized yet — but with earnings up 37-fold in less than four years, I think it’s only a (short) matter of time before the market wakes up to the opportunity. Again, it’s NEVER been recommended outside of Augmented Reality & Beyond.

A U.S. company specializing in AR simulations that has tapped less than 10% of its estimated total addressable market… that’s right — I believe this one could be a pretty easy 10x business growth opportunity…and whose platform has already been validated by well-known clients like Samsung, Nestle, Pepsico, Airbus, Volvo, Autodesk, and even Microsoft! And again, it’s NEVER been recommended outside of Augmented Reality & Beyond.

And the third — this one’s pretty cool… it’s a U.S. software-as-a-service, or SAAS company — which in my opinion is the best business model on earth. The recurring subscription revenue is just incredibly powerful… that’s cash that can be invested in growth, in R&D, and in acquisitions. Fortunately, this little-known company is doing all three, and its Connect and Scale 2025 strategy points to a leadership team with an aggressive vision that I believe is poised for rapid expansion. And again, it’s NEVER been recommended outside of Augmented Reality & Beyond.

In addition to exciting stocks like these… and again, the very cutting edge of Motley Fool investing research going on here… Lead analyst Jason Moser and his team have also taken care of portfolio allocation so it’s not just a disparate group of stocks, but a team of companies welded together with the goal of helping members who follow along pursue our ambitious augmented reality investing plan as effectively as possible. And when you join Augmented Reality & Beyond as a VIP member today, you get access to a host of VIP Extras, including:

end bodycontent