Apple is spending big to build augmented reality glasses and iPhone features, report says

Apple is beefing up its staff with acquisitions and some big hires to help design augmented reality glasses and iPhone features, according to Bloomberg.

Apple is working on "digital spectacles" that could connect to an iPhone and beam content like movies and maps, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported on Monday. The Cupertino, Calif.- based company is also working on augmented reality features for the iPhone that are similar to Snapchat, Bloomberg said.

To make its augmented reality push, Apple has acquired augmented reality start-ups FlyBy Media and Metaio, and hired major players from Amazon, Facebook's Oculus, Microsoft's HoloLens, and Dolby, Bloomberg said.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Apple's AR ambitions don't come as a total surprise. Apple patents for augmented reality maps, facial recognition, a headset, and new camera software have surfaced this month alone. Augmented reality, which lets viewers superimpose graphics onto footage of the physical world, has become a mainstream hit with the IPO of Snap.