AUGMENTED reality (AR) apps might sound futuristic to some, but trends suggest otherwise.
If a recent report is to be believed, 60% of consumers prefer stores to provide AR experience, while 40% of them would love paying more after experiencing products through augmented reality.
However, the harsh reality is that around 66% of companies don’t even use tech, let alone AR.
What is Augmented Reality, anyway?
Augmented reality is a technology that lets users experience a 3D visualization in the real world. This creates an illusion as if the virtual object coexists with them in the physical world.
Consider that you want to shop for some antique furniture for your home. While photos, videos, and 360-degree images are good – it is natural to feel sceptical if your chosen piece of furniture would blend well with your décor.
This is when AR kicks in and provides you with an AR experience – you can check how a table looks in your study room or how an ottoman fits in your living area.
Sounds good? To inspire you even further, we have here collected the best 5 augmented reality apps for android and iOS that deserve your attention. What’s more, you can create your own AR-based app with the help of software builders.
Check out.
Best Augmented Reality Apps
Houzz (Android, iOS)
Houzz is an augmented reality-based app for people who want to see furniture and other household goods. This app lets you plan your home interior design. It is considered a home improvement app, but it also comes with an e-commerce store that you can buy products from.
You take a picture of any part of your home with the 3D technology in the app, so it’s like you are seeing it in real-time. Then you put products in this image. A couch, table, statuette, whatever you like. The app even has advanced features like allowing you to see in different lights.
IKEA Place (Android, iOS)
This is another home décor app, and coming from IKEA, you know the quality of the app will be excellent. The furniture retailer helps its shoppers imagine how their products would look in the homes of their customers.
This app is much more advanced than Houzz and considers your complete house plan. This way, you can measure the dimensions much more accurately. And then, you simply drag and drop the furniture in the 3D image. See your furniture in different colors, shapes, and sizes. It would be almost like shopping in the real IKEA.
YouCam Makeup (Android, iOS)
When it comes to augmented reality apps, face tuning, makeup, ageing apps have revolutionized how far you can change reality. The makeup app, YouCam focuses on cosmetics, without any cosmetics. If you don’t like any makeup, you can still use this app and see how you would look with a particular suite of makeup products.
However, the real magic of the app comes from the fact that this app lets you choose the perfect makeup. If you are shopping in a mall and like a particular foundation, but don’t want to use the tester kit that has been touched by a million strangers, YouCam is your app. This app also shows you how makeup will look in a realistic light, and not the flattering light of a shopping mall makeup counter.
BBC Civilizations AR (Android, iOS)
AR has made big leaps when it comes to education, which is one of the best uses of technology. Because of these kinds of apps, AR is becoming a centrepiece in modern education.
With the BBC app, you can view artefacts from a bygone era. Walkthrough a pyramid, see what a mummy looks like close up, and listen to history. The app contains many historical items that you can enjoy. Put them by the dining room and take a picture if you like. If you love museums, you must have this app.
SketchAR (Android, iOS)
This AR app is for the artist in you. If you don’t find the time to sit down and sketch your thoughts to perfection, you can speed up the process. Consider this app as a virtual tracing. Add a few circles on a paper, and choose what image you would like to sketch.
The app will project your selected image on the paper, and you can trace the outline, achieving perfection in no time. This is no replacement for real training, but you can learn a lot of techniques and have fun.
The Wrap Up
As you can see, you can explore a whole new world of possibilities with an augmented reality app. All you need to do is determine your requirements, and get working.
If you are not much into coding, you don’t have to learn it. You can make use of an app builder and get things rolling.
Got any queries? Let us know in the comments below.
