The space of Augmented Reality is growing at a rapid rate and it will be safe enough to say that it is on the verge of exploding. This is one of the prime reasons why iOS app developers across the globe are incorporating this technology to take the level of their iOS apps a notch higher.
The popularity of the 2016 mobile game Pokémon Go added to the credibility of AR a great deal and compelled app developers around to use this technology extensively. Another thing that puts the ball in AR’s court is that it is used everywhere whether it is education, travel, tourism, manufacturing, etc.
Therefore, in this blog, we will discuss in detail about the influence Augmented Reality is having on the overall iOS development. Moreover, we will also see the impact of AR on the iOS developers and how it is helping iOS apps related to various industry sectors.
But first, let us begin with the basics
What is Augmented Reality?
In simpler words, Augmented Reality is the space where the real and digital worlds meet. The amalgamation of these worlds would be through sound elements, visuals, sensors or any other technology.
AR is often confused with Virtual Reality (VR), but unlike VR, it helps in enabling the iOS app developers and the development companies to integrate information easily into the apps. Moreover, according to a research done by BBC, the market value of AR development will surpass the mark of $162 billion by the year 2024.
The present-day AR development
The rising demand of AR gadgets is helping the businesses to proliferate their horizon. The upcoming business sector is going to be customer centric. And the new-age customer is constantly looking for some new experiences every day, especially when it comes to iOS app development.
AR technology has the power to amaze people. iOS apps developed with AI will become more interactive with the customers and thus will compel them to download the app more. For example, leading furniture manufacturing company IKEA has launched an AI powered iOS and Android app so as to increase the overall experience of the customers by rendering them a real time experience through their mobile phones. But, business houses have to understand that they must follow a process of hiring iOS developers so as to avail the full benefits of the technology.
There is more that business owners can explore through Augmented Reality and thus this technology could be a game changer in the realm of iOS app development.
Now, after getting through the present state of AR development and how it is going to impact iOS development in the future, it is time to see the tips to integrate AR in iOS app development
Tips to facilitate iOS app development through AR
There are six top tips that will help the iOS app developers to include AR technology into the iOS app development process and reap the best out of the potential of the technology.
Know the AR app type
It would come as a shocker to many of the iOS app developers, but Augmented Reality (AR) applications are majorly divided into two types:
- Mark-based AR apps: This kind of AR application reacts only to the predefined markers, to the stimuli they actively recognize. For example, a restaurant locator app will only react to the images of food places, nothing else. Therefore, while including these apps, the iOS app developer must take into account the final result of the development process.
- Markless apps: These AR based apps are designed to actively interact with the stimuli. Therefore, with the markless AR based apps, the iOS app development organization is able to build better iOS apps that can interact with unknown stimuli and enhance the overall customer experience.
Multi-media and device support
The iOS app developers should understand that they are developing apps for many devices such as iPhone, iPad, MacOS, etc. Therefore, while including the AR development technology, they must understand how well the app is able to support the user devices and also the different types of media.
The iOS app development organization must understand that the AR app that has zero practical usage but has a lot of functionality is of no use. Therefore, while working with the technology, it is necessary to always think about the end-user. Thus, make sure that the AR SDKs that are in usage must support more than one device such as tabs, wearable, smartphones, etc.
Should be highly adaptable
One of the most critical aspects that makes AR technology class apart from its peers is high adaptability. The realm of Augmented Reality is constantly evolving, thus the iOS app development company should strategize their entire iOS app development process to know how the app can potentially benefit from the AR technology.
AR-based iOS apps will not only make the iOS app development process smoother, it will also add stars to the credibility of the app and will be pivotal in enhancing the popularity and longevity of the app at the market.
Dynamic target recognition
As we have seen before, one of the most outstanding abilities of AR based apps is to recognize objects. Thus, to make the iOS app more efficient and responsive to the images, it is necessary for the developers to include the target recognition patterns and datasets carefully.
The iOS app developers should concentrate on the quality of datasets as it will be better for the AR algorithm to recognize the set target images.
How Augmented Reality (AR) is impacting the iOS developers?
There is no doubt that AR technology is revolutionizing the iOS app development process. One of the prime reasons behind it is that AR has impacted the iOS developers in a positive way. AR has the ability to render real life product simulations and there are plenty of tools available for the iOS developers to build state-of-the-art iOS apps powered by AR.
Different industry sectors such as tourism, education, entertainment, real estate, etc. are using AR powered iOS apps and are reaping rich benefits from it. iOS developers along with getting a wide set of tools to work on, enjoy working on an ever-evolving technology platform that helps them to upgrade their own skills as well. Some of the leading AR powered iOS apps are: YouCam Makeup, IKEA Place, ROAR, Augment, etc.
Final thoughts
Just like any other app development process, Augmented Reality has had major impact on the iOS development process. It has not only been the catalyst in increasing the speed of iOS app development, but has also enhanced the performance of the apps. Because of this, the level of user experience is also increasing as the end users too are getting a fully-immersive reality check of how good an AR powered app can work.
