The Future of Smartphones: Augmented Reality
The smartphone industry is on the verge of a brand new revolution, with augmented reality (AR) being the subsequent big battleground between tech giants Apple and Google. Both corporations are gearing as much as release recent phones, cameras, and systems that may provide users with a singular experience, sometimes called "Terminator vision" or "Pokémon Go on steroids."
What is Augmented Reality?
Augmented reality isn’t a brand new concept. The idea of overlaying digital information onto the actual world was first introduced within the 1984 movie Terminator, where the major character’s vision was enhanced with data about objects and other people around him. However, it wasn’t until the launch of Pokémon Go in 2016 that AR gained mainstream attention. The game allowed players to catch virtual creatures that were overlaid onto the actual world, using their smartphone cameras.
The Rise of AR Technology
Google has been working on AR technology since 2014, with its Project Tango system getting used in specialized tablets and smartphones. However, it was Apple’s recent announcement of ARKit, a platform that enables developers to create AR experiences for iOS devices, that has taken the highlight. ARKit will probably be released as a part of iOS 11 and will probably be available on iPhones as old because the iPhone 6S.
The Advantage of Apple’s ARKit
According to Geoff Blaber, an analyst at CCS Insight, "Apple’s ARKit is what AR badly needs. With a sizeable addressable market consisting of iPhones and iPads with A9 or A10 chips, it offers developers immediate scale and incentive to speculate." This signifies that developers will give you the chance to create AR experiences that might be utilized by hundreds of thousands of iPhone and iPad users, making it a more viable platform for investment.
The Challenge for Google
Google isn’t far behind, with its recent ARCore system being announced recently. ARCore takes an analogous approach to Apple’s ARKit, but it should face challenges on account of the variety of the Android ecosystem. Google could have to determine methods to account for the wide range of Android phone cameras or persuade phone makers to make use of specific parts, which could possibly be a troublesome sell.
The Business Case for AR
The success of Pokémon Go has proven that there’s a business case for AR, with Apple expected to make $3 billion from in-game purchases over two years. This has shown that AR could be a viable revenue stream for each Apple and Google, which could help to offset the decline in smartphone sales.
The Future of AR
While Apple could have the quick lead in smartphone-based AR with the discharge of iOS 11, more advanced AR experiences that involve pointing a smartphone at something and using the camera to overlay virtual objects or information on the actual world still have yet to realize their "killer app." However, with the discharge of ARKit and ARCore, we will expect to see more progressive AR experiences within the near future.
The Potential of AR
The potential of AR goes beyond smartphones, with the technology expected to evolve into form aspects resembling heads-up displays and head-worn devices. According to Blaber, "The technology has clear scope to evolve into form aspects resembling a heads-up display and ultimately a head-worn device… but like Google Glass, it faces an infinite hurdle of consumer acceptance."
Conclusion
In conclusion, the longer term of smartphones is about to be shaped by augmented reality, with each Apple and Google investing heavily within the technology. While there are still challenges to be overcome, the potential of AR is vast, and we will expect to see more progressive experiences within the near future. As the technology continues to evolve, we may even see AR turn out to be a converged solution that enhances and potentially even replaces the smartphone, depending on the context.
