augmented reality
By MacRumors Staff
augmented reality Articles

Leaked Videos Reveal Samsung's Plans for AR Glasses to Compete With Apple
Amid a spate of rumors in recent months about Apple's plans for a mixed reality headset and AR glasses, videos of Samsung's plans for its own AR glasses have purportedly leaked online (via The Verge).
A leaker known as "WalkingCat" has shared seemingly official Samsung concept videos that depict "Samsung Glasses Lite" and "Samsung AR Glasses." Samsung Glasses Lite give the illusion of a 2D ...
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Apple Launches 'For All Mankind: Time Capsule' Augmented Reality App
Apple today announced the launch of a new augmented reality app that takes inspiration from Apple TV+ series "For All Mankind." The app, built on Apple's ARKit framework, is designed to offer augmented reality experiences for the 2020 iPad Pro models and the iPhone 12 lineup.
Apple describes "For All Mankind: Time Capsule" as a new augmented reality experience that "brings the world of...

Apple VR Headset May Launch in Q1 2022 With LiDAR and $500+ Price Tag [Updated]
Apple's rumored virtual reality (VR) headset may be released as soon as the first quarter of 2022, according to JP Morgan analysis seen by China Times.
The report, spotted by iMore, explains that the "industrial design of Apple's headset will be close to that of other brands of VR headsets." The headset is said to feature six lenses and an optical LiDAR scanner to map the wearer's...

Bloomberg: Apple's First AR/VR Headset 'Pricey, Niche Precursor' to More Ambitious AR Glasses and Could Launch Next Year
Apple's first virtual reality headset will be a "pricey, niche precursor" to a more ambitious augmented reality product, according to a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
As a mostly virtual reality device, it will display an all-encompassing 3-D digital environment for gaming, watching video and communicating. AR functionality, the ability to overlay images and information over a view...

Google Maps to Gain New 'Live View' AR Features
Live View in Google Maps uses your iPhone's camera and GPS to provide augmented reality directions when you're walking somewhere, and this week Google announced that it's enhancing the feature and making it available in additional transit scenarios.
In Live View, arrows, directions, and distance markers are placed right on top of your surroundings to visualize your destination in the real...

Bloomberg: Apple Could Add AR Bonus Content to Apple TV+ Shows in 2021
Apple plans to add bonus augmented reality content to its Apple TV+ streaming video service, according to a new report today by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The new feature is said to take aspects of scenes in a TV show, such as characters or objects, and display them on the viewer's iPhone or iPad so they can be seen as if they existed in the user's surrounding environment.
For example,...

'Infinite Canvas' Documentary Now Available on Apple TV
Last year, seven artists led an augmented reality project in Apple Stores around the world. A new free documentary now available on Apple TV highlights the work of each artist and tells the story of pushing "the boundaries of their work by exploring the uncharted territory of augmented reality art."
"Infinite Canvas" is the debut documentary film of award-winning photographer Ryan...

Apple and Lamborghini Team Up to Let iPhone Users View the New Huracán EVO RWD Spyder in Augmented Reality
Lamborghini today announced that all iPhone and iPad users will be able to view the new Huracán EVO RWD Spyder using Augmented Reality and Apple's AR Quick Look. Apple users can visit the Lamborghini website from tomorrow on their iPhone or iPad, tap "See in AR" next to the announcement of the Huracán EVO RWD Spyder, and then the vehicle will be viewable in AR. Users can rotate and...

Apple Enhances Augmented Reality Quick Look Feature in Safari With Links to Make Shopping Online Easier
Apple is enhancing its Augmented Reality Quick Look feature that's designed to allow users to see augmented reality versions of products they're intending to purchase right in their houses.
According to CNET and TechCrunch, Apple has updated the Quick Look preview feature in Safari to allow retailers to add links and buttons to the augmented reality experience.
When browsing sites like...

Rumors Persist About Triple-Lens Rear Camera System With Advanced 3D Sensing on 2019 iPhones
While we're still two months away from Apple's widely rumored trio of 2018 iPhones, the rumor mill is already looking ahead to next year.
iPhone with triple-lens rear camera mockup via iDrop News Much of the early discussion has centered upon the rear-facing camera on 2019 iPhones, with multiple reports claiming it will be a triple-lens array with advanced 3D sensing for augmented reality...

Apple Announces New USDZ Augmented Reality File Format Coming in iOS 12
Apple today announced a new augmented reality file format called Universal Scene Description (USDZ) during its keynote event at WWDC in San Jose, California. Apple explained that USDZ was developed alongside animation studio Pixar and is an open file format optimized for creating and sharing 3D Augmented Reality assets in a compact, single file. This means that the format is optimized for...

Gene Munster Shares WWDC Predictions: Beats Product With Siri Integration, Improvements to AI and AR
Ahead of next week's Worldwide Developers Conference, Loup Ventures analyst Gene Munster today shared his predictions for the features and services that Apple will unveil during the event.
Munster expects Apple to debut new Siri, AR, AI, and Digital Health functionality, including a Beats-branded accessory (presumably a speaker) that includes Siri integration, much like the HomePod. Some of...

Google Maps Gaining AR Street View, 'For You' Recommendations, and More
Google today outlined several new features coming to Google Maps at its Google I/O developer conference in Mountain View, California this morning. First and foremost, this summer, Google Maps will be updated with a new personalized "For You" section that offers up recommendations based on your interests.
The Maps app is gaining a dedicated "For You" tab that is designed to "tell you what you...

Snapchat Launches 'Snappables' Augmented Reality Games That Can Be Played With Friends
Snapchat today announced the launch of Snappables, which are new Snapchat Lenses that are designed to allow Snapchat users to play augmented reality games with their friends. Interactive Snappable lenses are located right near other Snapchat Lenses in the Lens Carousel and can be accessed by tapping the icon on the left side of the capture button.
To use a Snappable, tap the Snappable...

Developer 'Survios' Details Process of Porting VR Title to iMac Pro, Says Apple Has 'A Lot of Passion' for VR
When Apple launched the iMac Pro last December, virtual reality applications and content creation were headlining features for the high-end computer. Prior to that, the company focused on Metal 2 and VR-based content as major additions to macOS High Sierra during WWDC 2017, also announcing multiple game studios putting their support behind Mac-based VR experiences, like Valve and Epic using the...

Apple Joins Group Investment in OLED Microdisplay Company eMagin Amid Ongoing AR/VR Efforts [Update: Not True]
Update: EMagin's Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey Lucas told Bloomberg that Apple has not invested in the company, despite the document filed with the Securities and Exchange commission.
Emagin listed the companies in the document because it "has had discussions with them at industry events." Lucas says Apple did not actually invest in the company and the filing was misinterpreted. Apple has ...

Tim Cook Thinks Retailers Will Find Augmented Reality as Key as Having a Website
Apple CEO Tim Cook believes there isn't any sector or industry that will be untouched by augmented reality going forward.
Tim Cook via Alastair Nicol for Vogue In a recent interview with Vogue, Cook said he believes the technology will transform everything from fashion runway shows to shopping."If you think about a runway show in the fashion world, that's a great application of AR because...

Here's a Look at the First Wave of Augmented Reality ARKit Apps Hitting the iOS App Store Today
With the launch of iOS 11 today, Apple has turned hundreds of millions of iPhones into augmented reality-capable devices thanks to the support of a new developer framework called ARKit. With this technology, iOS developers can more easily craft AR experiences for users on compatible iPhones and iPads, using each device's built-in cameras, processors, and motion sensors.
As of now, the first...

Snapchat's World Lens Filters Now Include Augmented Reality Bitmoji
Snapchat will now allow users to view their Bitmoji characters in augmented reality, through an addition to its previous "World Lens" feature. With the update, Bitmoji will be able to do yoga, skateboard, drink coffee, and more, all taking place in real-world surroundings in AR (via TechCrunch).
Image via TechCrunch Similar to Snapchat's popular dancing hotdog character, the Bitmoji will...

Google Reveals its Answer to Apple's ARKit With 'ARCore', Bringing AR to 100M Android Devices
Google today announced a new developer platform for augmented reality apps that won't require dedicated hardware, which it's calling "ARCore." The company originally began making inroads in the AR space a few years ago with Project Tango, which required manufacturers to implement specialized equipment so that smartphones would be compatible with Tango's AR features.
Now, Google is "effectively ...