The augmented reality market is set for a major boom.
“The mobile augmented reality (AR) market is finally on the verge of fulfilling its potential and going mainstream, following years of hype,” the introduction to a new report from Tractica reads.
So why now?
The proliferation of smartphones and tablets with ever-improving processing capabilities, sensors, and soon, 3D cameras, has provided an ideal medium for people to experience AR.
Additionally, the creation of AR content has been made much easier with a variety of tools consisting of simple drag-and-drop interfaces that allow developers to design their own applications.
According to Tractica, “this market momentum will drive growth in annual downloads of mobile AR apps to 1.2 billion worldwide by 2019.”
That’s up from just 272 million downloads last year.
“Mobile augmented reality is beginning to shake off the reputation of being gimmicky, a perception that has dogged the industry for the last few years,” says principal analyst Craig Foster. “There is a growing awareness of AR and an understanding about how the technology can be beneficial in a variety of sectors. One of the most notable trends is product visualization, where users are able to view how items will look in their homes without having to visit a physical location or commit to a purchase when not quite certain.”
