Apple may just give augmented reality apps a boost with new iPhones, iOS 11
Apple has been quietly showing off ARKit apps and as its new iPhones launch the company will instantly add millions of new AR-capable devices to the field.
Now there is Android and Google has a developer army, but the fragmentation of the mobile operating system and device diversity means it can’t flip a switch on AR adoption.
Apple has that switch. Rest assured that as Apple talks hardware specs, dual cameras and snazzy new iPhones for the 10th anniversary of the device the company also has an eye on killer apps.
Why will Apple give AR a boost?
First, the company has a unified base so it can enable devices with an OS update and device launch.
Developers know they make money with Apple and the customer base monetizes well. Developers who were early to the AR and VR bandwagon haven’t profited.
AR has a big business use case and Apple dominates in the mobile enterprise. As a result, look for AR apps from the likes of Ikea on the consumer side and companies like IBM, SAP and Accenture on the business side. There are multiple industries that could make good use of AR. Oracle is already looking to integrate it into its apps.
My hands on with the HoloLens 2 last week left me thinking I had experienced the future of computing. However, it reaffirmed my concern that Microsoft is vulnerable in terms of its leadership in the space.
The design of the HoloLens 2 itself reveals the source of some of this consternation. To achieve better balance on the head, Microsoft has moved the computing and battery components to the rear of the device. That makes a lot of sense; there’s no need for them to be weighing down the front of the device. That said, there’s an argument that it should not be weighing down the device at all. Indeed, promising but lumbering Magic Leap has reassigned such electronics to a puck designed to be worn on one’s waist, enabling the head-mounted part of its device to be as light as possible.