Every recent iphone (6s and newer) is an AR device. You can load up an Ikea app, and check how the furniture you're interested in looks in your room, or if that end table will actually fit between the wall and your couch. There was an estimate 2 years ago that there were 700 million iphones in active use. Let's assume that the current number isn't any larger and that 6/7 are recent enough to use ARKit, so let's say 600 million AR devices. I'm willing to bet that is more than all other AR companies combined.

What's a "hardware AR device"? Anything with a screen and a camera. You don't need immersion for AR. Pokemon Go is AR.

Isnt every phone a potential AR device? The Minecraft demo at WWC comes to mind.

I guess you're confusing AR and VR. VR needs dedicated hardware. AR doesn't. And Apple is one of the leaders in AR because they already ship state-of-the art AR devices in the millions.

They aren't selling any AR devices. Doesnt mean they aren't developing and testing them internally.