Livewire

We have seen and used numerous mobile applications that enabled location-based information services (LBS). Now we are seeing a new generation of LBS applications utilizing the concept of Augmented Reality (AR). For starters, AR is the process of overlaying digital information above a view of the physical world. Though AR has been an old concept, it has become a reality only after the launch of the newer generation of devices last year.

AR-based Mobile Applications are still in their infancy and I believe it will take a long time for them to achieve a mass market appeal. Today, there are hardly a few dozen (or even less) AR-based mobile applications collectively across all Mobile App Storefronts. The reason is very simple. There are hardly a handful of devices that technologically support AR-based applications.

Implementing an AR-based mobile application requires a few features to be available on the mobile phone namely – Camera, GPS, Compass, Accelerometer and Data Connectivity. Though a combination of Camera, GPS and Data Connectivity exists across a wide-base of devices in the market today, not very many phones have a Compass or an Accelerometer in them.

Only when the AR-requirements compliant device base  starts growing, will AR-based applications will even have a potential to reach mass adoption.

Is there a market opportunity for AR-based Mobile applications? There have been analyst predictions about the revenue and market opportunity of Mobile AR. But I believe it is still a big question which is yet to be answered or proven!

We have seen very few use cases being realized on mobile that are based on AR. Most of the apps that are out there overlay location-based metadata on a physical view of the locality that is seen through a mobile camera’s viewfinder. But such AR applications that merely provide location based information may not be really that compelling for an end user to pay for. Ad-based monetization of these apps (like any other free apps) can be a possibility too.

Application of AR within Mobile Applications has been talked about across a number of application categories like Games, Social Networking, Location-based Information Services, Search and even Healthcare. We have also seen some examples (and like any new technology concept, AR-based apps are still having their initial hiccups). But, I hope all of you would agree with me that strong use cases for AR on mobile are yet to emerge and still developers are in a mode of experimentation. AR-based Mobile Marketing is also another domain which is getting a lot of attention. What use cases of Mobile AR will become successful and take Mobile AR from reality to mass market adoption is something that remains to be seen!

Do you think Mobile AR will remain one of those hyped concepts that will never see mass-market usage or do you think use cases will emerge to take it to the next level – from concept to reality to Mass Market usage in future? 

I would like to hear your thoughts on what kind of AR-based use cases, you believe, would start emerging.