One of the more obvious MWC trends was virtual reality. Samsung made a strong push for its Gear VR headset and LG got into the game with its own 360-degree headset.

My sources believe Samsung now has an edge over Apple and most of the competition because its $99 headset is more powerful than Google Cardboard. Plus, the tie-in with Galaxy devices will help it sell more smartphones, a tactic LG seems to be trying, too.

Early research suggests interest in VR headsets tied to smartphones is very high. Although they're nowhere near as powerful as Sony's PlayStation VR or Facebook's Oculus Rift, they do deliver what I would call a semi-immersive VR experience; training wheels for VR, in a sense. If Samsung and LG can use VR headsets to drive more interest and sales of their smartphones, one has to wonder if Apple should follow suit?

Rumors abound that Apple has hired some top-level VR experts. Perhaps it will follow in Google's (rumored) footsteps and create a standalone VR headset that could be more competitive at the high end. It might be interesting if Apple applied its design and UI magic to an iPhone-based VR headset priced similar to or perhaps even slightly above Samsung's $99 price, and got its customers hooked on VR the same way the Android crowd is doing.

So, will Apple do something like this? I know from talking to many iPhone customers that they feel left out of this new and exciting area of tech. Yes, some are using Cardboard headsets, but they want something more powerful that is tied to iOS, with a head-mounted UI.

But if history is any indication, this probably won't happen. Apple's modus operandi is to watch a market develop and gauge interest in any new technology before it creates one itself. Just look at MP3 players, smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches.

I would welcome a high-end Apple VR headset that blows something like Gear VR out of the water. But if low-cost VR headsets help drive sales of rival smartphones, I can't see Apple hanging back too long.

VR is not going away, and whether it is used at the low end with a smartphone or at the high end with a PC, the market is moving fast. Hopefully Apple will respond to this growth opportunity soon. 

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.