augmented reality

Apple continues to improve its camera sensors and augmented reality (AR) development kits, reportedly with an eye on future wearables using the technology. Apple is said to be releasing enhanced 3D camera sensors on the 2020 iPad Pro refresh. The same sensor could appear on 2020 iPhones later in the year, making it possible to scan and create three dimensional models from anywhere. This would set the stage for a combination AR and virtual reality (VR) headset for launch by 2022 or earlier.

Minecraft Earth has launched its early access version to the App Store in the US and other countries. The title follows the tremendous success of augmented reality (AR) game Pokémon Go on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. With Minecraft Earth, fans of the game can build structures overlaying the real world using their mobile device's camera and display.

The first augmented reality (AR) app that most of us heard of (whether we realized it was AR or not) was likely Pokèmon Go. The game was a worldwide sensation turned spectacle as news channels shared stories of people walking into walls or worse, and getting into car accidents while chasing and collecting the Pokèmon creatures in the real-world environment.

To many people, augmented reality is likely associated with the ultra-popular (if somewhat infamous) Pokémon Go, in which players attempt to collect various species of the titular creature in real world locations, where the app renders the pokémon on the imagery provided by the camera. This kind of mixed reality has many more uses however, and the technology is only in its infancy.

More reports are surfacing with details on Apple's upcoming AR headset. The project, known internally as T288, is slated for a 2020 launch date. Sources say Apple's device will support both AR and fully-immersive VR as well.