Apple's ARKit may make a big leap forward at WWDC, with Apple adding the ability to allow multiple iPhones to share the same the same virtual environment while also limiting personal data transmitted to the company's server.
Apple's ARKit made a public debut at WWDC 2017 and was later released with iOS 11, enabling any iOS device with an A9 or newer processor to run augmented reality games and apps. Like clockwork, Google introduced a competing product in ARCore for devices running Android. We take a closer at the respective AR platforms in this video.
Apple is frittering away its lead in the augmented reality space after setting a rapid pace with ARKit in iOS 11 and advanced hardware in iPhone and iPad, according to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who sees Chinese upstart Oppo gaining ground with less complex — and less expensive — solutions.
iOS 11.3 was released yesterday for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. We went beyond the release notes to find everything new in Apple latest iOS update from big features, to small tweaks.
The new iOS 11.3 release for all remaining iOS devices has shipped, featuring new battery health information for iPhones, ARKit 1.5, a new Health Records feature, new Animoji characters, and more.
Fresh statistics from market research firm Sensor Tower suggest uptake of Apple's ARKit is on a steady upward trajectory, with more than 13 million augmented reality apps downloaded since the framework launched last September.
Facebook is evaluating a new marker-based augmented reality feature in its app that provides users with AR experiences tied to specially marked physical objects, like mapping digital graphics over a movie poster.
Apple this week updated its Human Interface Guidelines for iOS with new entries covering augmented reality experiences, making adjustments and additions to best practices used by developers creating apps with ARKit 1.5.
Developers have been testing out Apple's ARKit 1.5 since the refreshed augmented reality platform saw release with iOS 11.3 beta last week, and a few early projects offer a glimpse into the technology's ability to detect vertical surfaces, images and more.
The first beta of iOS 11.3 is now available, giving developers the opportunity to build apps for ARKit 1.5, and to test out new features like Health Records and new Animoji. However, new settings for battery and performance controls will have to wait until later betas.
{{ summary }}
Mike Wuerthele
AppleInsider Staff
Mikey Campbell
Andrew O'Hara
Stephen Silver
Malcolm Owen
