Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen the rise in popularity of AR experiences: from famous tech companies to celebrities, it seems that everyone is trying to incorporate augmented reality into their lives and businesses. It’s understandable, AR is tempting! Why?

AR allows you to blend the virtual with the real, creating the illusion of something that’s not there or, putting it simply, the visualization of different objects, animated or not, that is often impossible or risky to put in real life. However, the credibility of your illusion is on you and the equipment you’re using. Tech giants such as Apple and Meta have long been experimenting with AR, and there’s already a plethora of promising start-ups, ready to revolutionize the world of augmented reality with their tools.

What constitutes a great AR experience?

But what’s the difference between a mediocre and a great AR experience? Not all tech products are created equal, and while some will deliver you the highest-quality AR user journey that’ll check all the boxes, others will be just poorly-made imitations. Here’s what you should consider when deciding whether AR [1] is suitable for your product.

AR should help with the real representation of things: if you need to provide life-scale experiences and believable dimensions to educate or entertain your users, incorporating AR might be a good idea.

AR should be responsive and interact with the immediate surroundings. If you’re planning an interior design app or similar, AR might help with the immediate change of colors, adding objects organically, and virtual navigation.

AR should be quick to switch between things. Another good example of using AR to enhance the user experience could be a shopping app: in this case, AR should provide an immersive shopping experience thanks to the try-on feature.

AR should allow you to visualize objects in 3D. This should go without saying, but designing for AR is much different from 2D design processes — keep that in mind when opting to add this innovative feature to your next project.

Now, let’s see some of the companies setting the AR trend this year.

Apple’s ARKit 6

During this year’s WWDC, Apple has presented the world with their latest creation in the AR field — ARKit 6 — and they seem to be quite proud of it. While the choice of AR headsets is quite broad today and there are different manufacturers in the field, Apple has long been known as the innovator when it comes to technology. One of the breakthroughs in their new ARKit 6 is the possibility to capture videos in 4K. If you’ve been following Apple’s AR journey, you’d probably know this feature has long been requested — and finally delivered. One of the cool older features includes Object Capture, which allows one to take pictures of real-life objects and transform them into 3D models using the RealityKit. From previewing the models of different plants in your space to virtually trying on the shoes, Object Capture technology has now been serving people in design and e-commerce with exceptional results in just one year. In addition, Apple has added a RoomPlan framework, which is a brand-new tool to scan the room and generate a 3D model, featuring all the room-defining objects inside.

From architects to interior designers and real estate specialists, this new tool will allow for greater freedom. Not only does it scan and reconstruct a room model but also enables the usage of the room’s parametric data to suit each particular case [2]. This year, Apple is introducing the high-resolution background photos API to the newest ARKit. That means you’ll now be able to capture photos in the native camera’s resolution while running an AR Session [3], as well as offering users more control over general camera settings.

Snapchat’s Spectacles

Snapchat has been making headlines with its exploration of AR possibilities — and extending this possibility to creators all around the world. Their newest product, Spectacles, or wearable AR glasses, has the potential to give you a truly immersive experience. Brands like Puma and Dior have already started running their AR campaigns on Snap, but here’s the catch: Spectacles are not for sale. As for now, Snapchat has decided to reserve the exclusive rights of trying them out to a handful of selected creators. The good news though is that you can apply for their creator program and if you get selected, you’ll join the early adopters. The previous three generations have been limited to taking photos and short videos but Spectacles 4 might as well revolutionise the way we’re using cameras. Blending the AR objects with the environment in an effortless way, Spectacles make it all possible thanks to dual 3D waveguide adjustable displays and 2 RGB cameras [4].

Spectacles are fully integrated with Lens Studio which allows you to interact with the Lenses in real-time, adding to the impressive Snap ecosystem. One of the experiments I’ve done so far was incorporating your calendar into Lenses and putting it as AR in your environment through Spectacles — imagine how cool would it be to have all your appointments and to-do’s pop up in front of you, without having to reach for a mobile device first! A huge bonus is, of course, the look of the Spectacles: differently from all other kits we’ve seen by now, these resemble a pair of stylish sunglasses, making you (inevitably) think of the future merge between fashion and high-tech.

Project Cambria vs. Project Iris

While Apple and Snapchat seem to be dominating this year’s AR field (at least for now), Meta will most likely catch up with them soon. After the success of Oculus Quest 2, Meta has announced Project Cambria [5], a top-of-the-line headset, currently in the stage of development. Meta has been pretty cryptic about it ever since, but the company is promising a cutting edge technology and something never seen before in the wireless virtual or augmented reality. The product is said to be focusing on productivity rather than playing video games and is expected to be on the expensive side. But Meta is not the only company competing for the most advanced AR technology. Google has decided to jump in and is reportedly building an AR headset of its own. Project Iris [6], just as cryptic as Meta’s one, is set to sail later than other competitors.

Differently from Meta though, Google’s project still seems to be anchored in rumors, as in some anonymous reports from the company’s employees and speculations around new job listings from the company, suggesting an AR project might be in the development. It wouldn’t come as a surprise though if Google went up against Apple and Meta in the AR run — as we stated at the beginning of this article, most great tech companies are now embracing the possibilities of augmented reality.

With some AR products already released and others (hopefully!) coming soon, 2022 is a promising year for the tech world. The AR/VR trend has already proven to be a massive breakthrough in the past years, so now it’s up to the leading companies to keep up with it. Whether it’s the question of design or functionality, the competition is real, and it’s truly fascinating to see the quick progress and evolution of AR technology delivered to the highest standards by players from all across the industry. Time will tell which of these companies is going to gain the true “leader” title.

Resources:

[1] https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2022/10131/

[2] https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2022/10127/

[3] https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2022/10128/?time=328

[4] https://www.spectacles.com/uk/new-spectacles

[5] https://www.techradar.com/news/oculus-quest-pro-project-cambria

[6] https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/20/22892152/google-project-iris-ar-headset-2024