Augmented Reality-Enabled Mobile Apps Are Key to AR Growth

Mobile Augmented Reality (AR) – today epitomized by the overlay of useful information on real-world views seen through a mobile phone’s camera viewfinder – has the potential to transform mobile marketing, online search, tourism, retail, social networking and much more. So far, however, mobile AR is mostly a novelty. The key to real AR market growth, says a new study from ABI Research, is to embed AR into a wide range of apps running on a variety of devices.

According to senior analyst Mark Beccue, “The market for AR barely exists today: 2010 revenue amounted to only $21 million. But if the market develops as we expect, it will generate more than $3 billion in 2016.”

But the AR market won’t get there if it is limited only to dedicated AR apps such as early entrants Layar and Wikitude. Mobile AR functionality and capabilities will improve rapidly and new platforms are emerging to enable app developers to build AR capabilities into all types of apps. This movement will rapidly advance the growth of mobile AR.

How would AR work within other apps? A couple of examples:

·         Navigation: while using a navigation app, you point the phone’s camera at an interesting building. Click on a superimposed “Info” label, and historical info appears.