Today, AR applications are limited to simple
apps on a mobile device. Examples include the
well-known game, Pokemon Go, an Ikea app for
home decoration planning (before a trip to Ikea), a
walking tour around a museum for education
purposes, fashionistas trying on clothes virtually,
or navigating a shopping mall.
Another app,Measurekit, allows users to measure short
distances between two points on surfaces.
The catalyst for AR to go beyond these
simple uses is Apple’s recent efforts to jumpstart
development of the whole category.
The most
visible aspect of Apple’s commitment to 3D
sensing, the key technology that can enable
feature-rich AR in the future, is the release of its
facial recognition software, called FaceID, on the
newly-launched iPhone X, a technology enabled
by a new 3D sensing module.
Less visible to consumers, Apple’s latest operating system
update last October brought simple AR features,
via its ARKit developer platform, to its
smartphone line-up.
The move has expanded the
base of AR devices into the hundreds of millions,
allowing developers to generate revenues from
functions, many of which have yet to be
conceived (beyond obvious use cases like gaming
and home decoration). It is not unfair for Apple’s
software chief, Craig Federighi, to say that the
iPhone is on track to be the “largest AR platform
in the world” by the end of the year.
EU Forecast
euf:b18:132/nws-01