At I/O 2019, Google announced a slew of AR features, including Dining and Translation filters for Google Lens. The ability to preview animals via augmented reality in Google Search is one of the more whimsical additions and it’s now live.
Whether you want to get up close and personal with your favorite Pokémon, dance along with Childish Gambino, or learn more about the human anatomy, ARCore powers some of the best augmented reality experiences available today, on compatible devices. The latest phones to gain ARCore compatibility are the first devices on the list from Sharp and General Mobile.
Over the past two weekends, Google hosted an art installation at Coachella 2019 with Childish Gambino. Advertising the Pixel 3’s camera prowess, a central part of “Brighter in the Dark” was an AR app from the musician. Leveraging the latest ARCore features, PHAROS AR is available for Android and iOS.
The Google ARCore platform is proving to be a much more widely adopted augmented reality platform than previous efforts.
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Over the past few weeks, Google has been doubling down on the PIxel’s AR Emoji feature. Now, following the Childish Gambino and Valentine’s Day packs, Google has released Japanese Phrases for Playground on Pixel.
At MWC 2019, the Google Android Partner Walk may have been one of the side attractions for attendees in Barcelona. But it was the perfect showcase of Google’s ARCore functionality and how it could help improve our navigation systems of the future. Not only that but simply by collecting pins — both physical and digital — you could potentially earn some neat prizes.
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As ARCore grows in adoption and sees fun new functions like Google’s Playground app, it was only a matter of time before more serious uses of the technology began to appear. It seems the time has come, as, among other new devices like the Motorola Moto One, ARCore is picking up support for its first enterprise-specific devices from Zebra.
Just in time for all the recent excitement around Google’s Playmoji, including Childish Gambino exclusive to Google Pixel phones and yesterday’s Valentines-themed stickers, the underlying ARCore is welcoming eight new phones to the ever-growing device roster, including all four phones in the Moto G7 series and its first dual-display phone.
ARCore is Google’s platform for mobile augmented reality which does not require specialized hardware. As of December, it’s available on 250 million devices and powers features like Playmoji on the Pixel 3. The latest developer release today introduces a new Augmented Faces API and an ARCore Elements app for learning about basic principles.
Playmoji made a big splash at the Grammys last weekend, and just today Google released a new “Love” pack for Valentine’s Day. Revamped alongside the Pixel 3 last year, these AR stickers might be coming to other Android devices this month.
Samsung is introducing their three flagship phones to Google’s ARCore in China. ARCore, the basis for Google’s best augmented reality experiences, is normally available to install from the Google Play Store. In China however, the Play Store is not accessible.
Since ARCore 1.2 at I/O 2018, Google has released a number of updates to its platform for mobile augmented reality. ARCore 1.6 today allows for more realistic lighting and screen capture, with the company also sharing that it’s supported on a quarter of a billion devices.
Three more devices from LG have gained ARCore compatibility today, including two extremely limited Signature Edition variants of the company’s V30 and V35 phones.
Google’s ARCore software powers some of the richest augmented reality experiences available on both Android and iOS today, and the list of compatible devices is growing every month. The list of phones that can use the software in China is completely separate from the otherwise global list. Now, three Huawei phones were added to ARCore’s list of supported devices in China.
Google has been pushing for consistency in augmented reality on the Android and Chrome OS platforms. A new class of devices has been added to Google’s master list of ARCore-compatible devices. Included are some of the latest phones including Nokia 8.1, OnePlus 6T, and Sony Xperia XZ3.
While the fervor around Pokémon GO has decreased since its 2016 debut, the game still has a solid following and is continuously adding new features. The latest is an enhanced AR+ mode on Android that takes advantage of ARCore for a more realistic experience.
With the new school year almost underway, Google is launching a number of education features across its products. Many were announced earlier this year and are coming out of beta, including a big revamp to Google Classroom, formating updates for Google Docs, and a suite of new AR/VR features.
Launching exclusively on the Pixel last year, AR Stickers take advantage of ARCore to overlay interactive animations in photos and videos. Version 1.3 is rolling out today and unbundles the default Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Stranger Things sticker packs to make the app significantly smaller.
Back in June, Google updated its previously Tango-only Measure to support all ARCore devices. This convenient utility is picking up some UI tweaks and a quick way to copy heights and lengths in the real-world with an update today.
Before ARCore, Google’s augmented reality efforts were based around Project Tango and devices that required specialized cameras and sensors. That platform had several dozens apps and Google is now making its first-party Measure app compatible with ARCore.
Following ARCore’s launch in February, Google at I/O 2018 announced version 1.2 of its mobile augmented reality platform. One feature of the new release allows users to share and have collaborative experiences across devices. Google is today releasing a demo app that lets two users, regardless of platform, draw in AR together.
Beginning with Cardboard, Google has been keen on making virtual experiences, tours, and field trips available to a wide audience. Optimal for budget-conscious schools, Google last year launched Expeditions AR to allow for phone-based exploration. The app is exiting its pilot program and is now available for all Android and iOS users.
After launching this February, Google’s platform for mobile augmented reality hit version 1.2 and received a number of new features at I/O 2018. Many flagship devices from the top OEMs feature it, but Google is now working with Xiaomi to make it available in China where its services are traditionally blocked.
Augmented reality technology has gotten much more popular over the past couple of years, and with the arrival of ARCore, it’s gotten a whole lot better on Android. Now, Samsung’s latest flagships finally offer support.
