This is the most recent iteration of ABI Research’s Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality database.This research contains data on the augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) markets end to end. Smart glasses are the primary device type tracked, segmented between binocular (two displays) and monocular (one display) form factors, along with high-level breakouts for mixed reality shipments and consumer/enterprise splits. This data includes shipments, install base, device revenues, and value chain revenues, segmented both by vertical and by region. Active users are forecasted across prominent use cases (i.e. remote expertise) for each vertical. Data on mobile device usage is also included to show the dynamic between smart glass (headworn) and mobile device (handheld) augmented reality usage. Verticals include Healthcare, Energy & Utilities, Manufacturing, Logistics, Education, Media & Entertainment, Government & Military, Retail & Marketing, Transportation, Tourism, Insurance, Sports and Fitness, AEC, and Other. Data is representative of the global market, with regional breakouts for North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. Use cases and use case active users are included, specific to each vertical.
The augmented reality market as a whole is ever-changing, with some notable differences between devices and technology. Most recently, the capabilities of mobile devices have shifted the dynamic in the space, offering a significantly larger existing install base and a well-understood and mature form factor to boot. Smart glasses cannot say the same, although advantages are there. Many smart glasses devices are standalone, offering battery, display, processing, sensors, I/O, etc., in one package; some devices favor an external processing and/or battery component to preserve form factor and lower costs. For displays, monocular versus binocular display setup is the most noticeable difference, with binocular setups seen most commonly in higher-end devices and interactive, three-dimensional content; monocular display devices are cheaper to both manufacture and purchase but offer a more passive experience. Current trends in the market favor monocular, or more accurately simply lower cost, devices that provide a "good enough" experience to bring significant ROI.
Some companies to watch for in the smart glasses space include (but are not limited to) Microsoft, Epson, Daqri, Osterhout Design Group (ODG), RealWear, and Vuzix. With mobile devices, Apple and Google both support augmented reality directly through their mobile OSes with ARKit and ARCore respectively; competitors here target more universal mobile device applicability, and include Wikitude and PTC's Vuforia, among others. There is component level support for mobile as well, with chip makers like Qualcomm offering specialized AR chipsets, and sensor providers expanding their hardware and software tracking to better support augmented reality.