6 AR trends to watch in 2020
As AR (Augmented Reality) is becoming more and more popular, it’s turning into a buzzword. If you’re interested in AR, keep reading! In this article I’ll describe the 6 most important AR trends to watch in 2020.
In 2016 the immersive technology was globally used through the app Pokemon GO. However, AR is so much more than the gaming and entertainment industry. Big names such as Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Google are rapidly developing the technology, making it accessible to many industries.
Trend 1: Mobile AR
Since 2017, mobile AR has grown immensely. Mobile AR refers to the Augmented Reality experiences that you create through mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets.
Apple and Google played big roles in this. Apple’s ARKit and Google’s ARCore are Software Development Kits (SDKs) that standardized the development tools and regulated mobile AR creation.
Google’s ARCore provides APIs (Application Programming Interface) that are necessary for the creation of AR. Think of motion tracking, environmental understanding and light estimation.
Apple recently introduced ARKit 4.0 which includes depth API, location anchors and expanded face tracking support. Depth API creates access to depth information. Location anchors refers to the data quality of AR experiences that are placed at a certain location. The expanded face tracking support allows AR through the front cameras of user devices, up to three faces.
Standardizing the SDKs resulted in an increase in mobile AR creators, users and revenues. As big players like Apple and Google keeping developing, the value of AR is expected to grow even further in the next years.
Source: ARtillery intelligence, 2020
Trend 2 Rise of AR in e-commerce
Throughout recent years, e-commerce is battling a major problem: People are unsure whether to buy products online, because they are not able to see what they look like in real life. This leads to an average cart abandonment rate of 70%.
AR opens up a whole new world when it comes to e-commerce. It comes with benefits that brick and mortar stores can only dream of. With AR, online shoppers can project products in their room and try before they buy. It gives customers an enhanced experience. Moreover, the use of new technologies radiates an innovative and advanced brand. A major competitive advantage.
Several large companies such as ASOS and Amazon are early adopters of the technology and have already created AR apps for their businesses. However, these days other companies are starting to see the benefits of implementing AR in their businesses. Have a look at this article for more use cases: 5 examples of AR in e-business.
Trend 3 AR in advertisement
As the amount of AR users increases globally, so will the adoption of AR into businesses. One new way of using AR is through advertisement. It’s a new way of how people use their phones and social media.
Most important benefit of AR in advertisement is storytelling. It is a way of connecting with the audience in a memorable way. Even more so, studies show that the memory of AR experiences is 70% higher than with other visuals.
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A great use case is the launch of Burger King’s “Burn That Ad” campaign in Brazil in 2019. Burger King’s app users could point their smartphones at BK’s main competitor’s ad and see it go up in flames. After the burning flames -in AR ofcourse- they would see a Burger King ad that gave them a free Whopper.
Trend 4 WebAR
During the first years or AR, the technology was mainly created through app-based AR. Think of Pokemon GO or Ikea Place. Even though these apps are successful, not everybody is willing to download an app. For this reason, people are exploring and developing AR through the web, so called WebAR. That way, users can access AR experiences through a webpage URL.
WebAR increases accessibility for users, but as it’s still relatively new, it also comes with limitations. The biggest hurdle so far is the fact that WebAR’s memory is limited, which results in a basic AR experience. Performance is simply better on apps, because they have more memory capacity and thus better visuals and interactivity.
Trend 5 AR solutions for enterprises
Corporations of all sizes and from different sectors are showing more interest in AR. The benefits for companies cover areas of internal and external communication. Besides this, it improves the visualization of data and boosts productivity.
In 2019, Google brought Glass Enterprise Edition 2 on the market. With a relatively high price tag, these smart glasses focus on enterprises that are active in manufacturing, logistics and healthcare.
Trend 6 the merging of AR and AI
AI (Artificial Intelligence) is changing the way that computers and smartphones think on their own and interact with each other. The merge of AR and AI enhances and expands both technologies: The best of both worlds.
Science and technology benefit greatly from this. Deloitte Research states that AR and AI will transform healthcare. For example, by creating human-machine processes that are able to detect and diagnose diseases.
A little closer to everyday life, the combination of AR and AI is already present in social media. Facebook uses it for facial recognition when it comes to tagging pictures. Instagram uses it to give you filters.
To wrap up, AR technology is rapidly developing and can be adopted in many industries. As the numbers show, AR has increased immensely in market value and this is expected to continue in the future.
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