When I say “augmented reality”, what are you thinking about? In any case, I wasn’t thinking about recovering lost items with an expensive Apple key fob. Yet that is where we are now. iPhoneeditor Michel on the practical but boring future of augmented reality.
Opinion: AirTag shows the future of augmented reality
The first time I heard about augmented reality (AR), my imagination ran wild. In principle, everything is possible by merging the digital and ‘real world’, and the AR industry knew that too.
They made us feel good with games and films that would become much more interactive, resulting in a completely new experience. Virtual viewings would become as enlightening as seeing a house in real life and you would no longer have to go to the store to try on shoes. You just point your phone camera at your feet to see if the walkers fit.
In 2021, AR is anything but a new technology. In fact, we have been talking for years about the ‘promise’ that this new way of dealing with technology must fulfill.
I think the promise has long been fulfilled, but expectations are (and were) too high. The brand new Apple AirTags show that AR is practical for the masses, but anything but spectacular.
Heat seeker
You can use the tiny Apple tracker to find lost items. For example, put one in your wallet and backpack to never have to search behind the couch again.
Instead, open the Find My app on your iPhone and iPad. Then you can see exactly where your wallet is located to within a few centimeters. You don’t even have to search, because your Apple device automatically points you in the right direction via an arrow and the number of meters you still have to travel. Think of it as the digital version of “cold, cold, warm, warm, very hot!”
We owe this extremely practical example of AR to the so-called U1 chip. This sleuth has been in a lot of new Apple devices since the iPhone 11 (Pro) of 2019 and is able to accurately determine locations. The chip does this by sending out a signal that is picked up by other items with a U1 chip, such as the iPhone 12 or AirTag.
The promise of AR
That was it. This is probably the most practical example of AR that we will see in the coming years. You can find lost items with an Apple tracker, and the company wasn’t even the first. Competitors like Tile have opened the market for trackers and even Samsung beat Apple with her SmartTag.
It may read disappointed, but it is actually a nice piece of technology. Anyone who has ever lost her or his wallet knows how annoying this is. If you had mentioned the idea of the AirTag 20 years ago, people would probably look at you in amazement (and downright amazed).
The fact remains, however, that AR – and related terms such as virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) – have been in the ‘promise corner’ for years. The industry keeps shouting from the rooftops how revolutionary the techniques are and how they will change our lives. However, the average person does not notice this much. Very honest: how often do you use the LiDAR scanner of your iPhone 12 Pro (Max) or iPad Pro?
Probably not that often. And the times you do use the special depth sensor, you probably do this for practical reasons. For example, the Measure app is nice to check how wide your sofa is, and you can use the IKEA app to check how new furniture fits into your interior.
This is of course very handy, but is it also revolutionary? No, probably not.
On to Apple Glass
Apple’s next ‘AR milestone’ might be Apple Glass. If we are to believe the rumors, Apple is currently working on several smart glasses. The first would be announced this year and combine AR with VR. It therefore looks like competing headsets, such as Facebook’s Oculus Quest.
After that, Apple would release glasses with only AR. According to insiders, this looks like an average frame, including lenses that you can buy with prescription. In the very long term, Apple also seems to be working on smart contact lenses. Little is known about this yet, so take the claim with a grain of salt.
Read more: Apple Glass: 6 expectations for Apple’s first smart glasses