Augmented reality is nothing new to modern-day technology. But if you haven’t heard of it, don’t feel too out of the loop. Augmented reality hasn’t been easily accessible for day-to-day use until now. With Apple’s new ARKit, augmented reality will be more accessible and present in technology we use every day.
What is the ARKit?
Apple’s ARKit is a set of software that will allow developers to create augmented reality capable apps for iOS. While many of us will not use the actual ARKit, we will see its product in the form of interactive apps.
Who will benefit from the ARKit?
Anyone with a device using the A9-A11 chip with iOS 11! This includes iPhones 6s and up, all iPad pro models and the iPad released in 2017. If your device falls into that category, congratulations! You will be able to utilize apps with augmented reality from Apple’s ARKit!
Another bonus is that you don’t need to install anything special on your device to enjoy the benefits of these augmented reality apps outside of iOS 11!
What can I do with these AR apps?
The real question you should be asking yourself is what can you NOT do with AR capable apps! In all seriousness, augmented reality combines what you see in real life with overlaid graphics to show an alternate reality, hence the name augmented reality.
Examples of augmented reality that you might come in contact with soon includes: IKEA’s app that allows you to demo furniture in your own living room and video games like a Star Wars themed chess game, bringing holographic characters right to your living room.
Is there a similar alternative for Android users?
Google just gave a preview to their response to augmented reality, the ARCore software development kit. This is comparable to Apple’s ARKit, and apps will run on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Google Pixel. Devices running Android 7.0 Nougat and above will also have access to the new technology.