It’s clear that Apple is building the foundation of its augmented reality (AR) strategy right before our eyes. Lidar included in iPhones and iPads today increases the accuracy and fidelity of AR on the devices, and Apple is already creating an ecosystem of apps and tools for developers.
Travis Hoium for The Motley Fool:
For Apple, the future is about far more than our physical reality. The company is building tools for augmented reality (AR) that could be in common use by over 1 billion devices around the world, and virtual reality (VR) has been rumored to be on the way as well.
The most notable AR addition announced last week was AR for maps. In a news release, Apple described its mapping AR technology by saying, “With iOS 15, users can simply hold up iPhone, and Maps generates a highly accurate position to deliver detailed walking directions in augmented reality.”
For now, this technology will only be available on the iPhone, but it’s unlikely that’s the end game… If and when Apple announces AR glasses, it could offer the same tools.
The combination of knowing a user’s location and being able to scan the surrounding area opens up a world of possibilities, especially if users are wearing Apple AR devices. And if Apple can use the user’s scan data to improve its maps, we could see that add value not only to maps but also to new technologies like self-driving vehicles.
MacDailyNews Take: The changes augmented reality will usher in, hopefully led by privacy-focused Apple, will be significant and far-reaching.
Augmented reality is going to change everything. — MacDailyNews, July 21, 2017
The impact of augmented reality cannot be overstated. It will be a paradigm shift larger than the iPhone and the half-assed clones it begat. — MacDailyNews, August 4, 2017