With the release of iOS 11 this fall, Apple unleashed AR on anyone running an iPhone 6 and above.

And e-commerce brands are racing to offer those iPhone owners new ways to interact, discover, and buy their products with AR technology.

Here are five examples of how ARKit is already transforming the e-commerce retail experience.

1. Furniture Shopping

With concerns about fit, color, and more, furniture shopping is a perfect fit for AR. Ikea Place is one of the big name brands using Apple ARKit. Their app lets users virtually place IKEA products in their home, with buttons for saving an item or adding it to the shopping cart. 

In a stunning display of AR’s capabilities, the app automatically scales products to the room with 98 percent accuracy.

AR apps that virtually measure objects or a room can further help shoppers make the right choice. Unbranded furniture dropping apps, like this one by developer Asher Vollmer, help users completely design and stage a room with multiple pieces of furniture.

2. Delivery and Shipping Logistics

Large retailers can use AR to transform how they organize their warehouse for optimized workflow. Shipping, packing, and restocking can become more accurate and efficient. Through arrows and information overlays, AR can help employees quickly identify which objects to ship according to delivery times instead of having to read tiny labels.

On the delivery end, shippers can use AR instead of scanning devices, minimizing the need to click a button. They can quickly hold up an iPad to determine which box needs to be delivered from their truck, or use an iPad to navigate through an apartment building.

3. Video Games and Toys

With AR, some retailers can forget shipping altogether. For example, video games can now be sold without a console, as demonstrated in this demo from Directive Game. Their “The Machines” game only requires a flat tabletop and an iPad running ARKit to play.

Companies selling more traditional, physical games or toys can use AR to further entice customers. Imagine a virtual catalog that shows you building a LEGO set on your kitchen table, Barbie dolls interacting in your bedroom, or playing Minecraft in your kitchen sink. The possibilities are endless.

4. Apparel

Clothing retailers were one of the first to jump on the AR bandwagon. Early adopter Uniqlo has used AR in their stores since 2012. Fitting room mirrors include a LCD screen so shoppers can quickly try out a top in different colors.

E-commerce marketplace Redbubble sells custom print-on-demand products. Their AR app shows shoppers how the products will look in their homes. Instead of relying on the website’s product image gallery, shoppers can see how the colors of their new sham pillow match the rest of their furniture collection, or decide whether they like the way a t-shirt looks on them.

5. Cosmetics and Beauty Products

One of the toughest things about buying cosmetics online is the discrepancy between how the product looks on the website with perfect lighting on a model and how it looks on your face in the real world.

That’s why Modiface created a virtual AR makeup counter. Customers can experiment with different looks and products so they buy the right shade with confidence.

Conclusion

If you work in e-commerce and you’re not already developing an ARKit app, you’re behind. ARKit gives you an unique opportunity to help consumers fall in love with your brand, and increase their confidence during the buying process.

Michael Quoc is the founder & CEO of Dealspotr, an open shopping platform bringing together up-and-coming brands, influencers, and savvy shoppers around today’s best deals. He was previously the Director of Product Management for Yahoo’s media lab, spearheading the launch of several innovative live video and mobile social networking services. Michael has been awarded nine patents relating to mobile and social network applications and technology. Follow him on Twitter at @michaelquoc.

The post 5 Examples of Apple’s ARKit Already Changing E-commerce appeared first on ReadWrite.

Before AR, shoppers had two options: they could go to a physical store, or order online and hope for the best.

Return policies were heavily used as many found the product didn’t live up to their expectations. The fit was off, the color wasn’t right, or it just looked different in real life.

Now, imagine a world where e-commerce is enabled by AR.

Users enjoy the ultimate “try before you buy” from their comfort of their own home. As long as they have their phone, shoppers can envision themselves wearing a new pair of jeans, trying on a new shade of lipstick, or adding a new ottoman to their living room. AR delivers virtual dressing rooms and showrooms to the user, wherever they’re located and whenever they’re ready to shop.

It may sound futuristic, but that vision of e-commerce is now upon us.

With the release of Apple’s iOS 11 this fall, AR is available to anyone who has an iPhone 6 and above. As Apple’s SVP of Software engineering Craig Federighi said, “With iOS 11, we’re delivering the biggest AR platform in the world.”

Here are three ways Apple’s ARKit will revolutionize e-commerce.

1. Fewer returns

Internet Retailer estimates that 30 percent of apparel bought online is returned. AR should bring that number way down.

Returns aren’t the only cost of e-commerce, either. Sure, shoppers get their money back, but there’s still a cost in overall customer satisfaction, as they have to deal with the hassle of returns, and find themselves questioning whether next time, they’ll experience a similar disappointment. Over time, these subpar experiences slowly chip away at customer loyalty.

With AR, customer confidence will increase as products meet expectations, and overall customer satisfaction will rise.

2. Bigger checkouts

AR will bring other, unexpected benefits to e-commerce, like the ability to charge more.

40 percent of shoppers said they would pay more for a product if they could test it with AR first, according to a study by Retail Perceptions.

AR can increase sales for other products, too. Instead of simply offering the shopper similar items based on their previous purchases, users can virtually “try” them on right then and there. They might layer a necklace over their new dress, or consider how a coffee table might look next to their new sofa.

3. An app renaissance

As responsive websites have become the norm, standalone apps have become less important for online retailers. But now, thanks to the capabilities of AR, there will be a new use case for apps, bringing them back into the fold.

With ARKit, app developers can offer something unique to shoppers on their app. They can try products on using the app, or unlock special deals in-store. Plus, having an app on a person’s iPhone gives brands another opportunity to further enmesh themselves in their consumers’ lives.

Conclusion

If done right, AR will solve many problems for e-commerce, and bring new benefits.

Our next post will take a look at how e-commerce brands are already changing the game with ARKit.

Michael Quoc is the founder & CEO of Dealspotr, an open shopping platform bringing together up-and-coming brands, influencers, and savvy shoppers around today’s best deals. He was previously the Director of Product Management for Yahoo’s media lab, spearheading the launch of several innovative live video and mobile social networking services. Michael has been awarded nine patents relating to mobile and social network applications and technology. Follow him on Twitter at @michaelquoc.

The post 3 Ways Apple’s ARKit Will Revolutionize E-Commerce appeared first on ReadWrite.

Pokemon Go. Google Glasses. Iron Man.

These are all examples of AR, albeit rudimentary, failed, and fantasy.

Now, with Apple’s ARKit available on iPhones this fall, augmented reality is about to become a lot more real, successful, and exciting.

What is AR?

AR stands for augmented reality. Perhaps the best way to understand AR is to compare it with VR:

Virtual reality (VR) is a fully immersive, completely artificial, virtual 3-D world. Users need to use headsets, controllers, and software in order to experience it.

Augmented reality (AR), on the other hand, uses what’s already there. AR relies on a live view in the real world, and enhances it through computer-generated sound, graphics, and video. Users can either use AR hardware like Google glasses, or the camera on a smartphone or tablet, to experience it.

The future of AR

AR has seen a swift rise over the past few years, thanks to four distinct iterations:

• Mobile AR software that works on smartphones and tablets, like Apple ARKit and Facebook’s Camera Effects Platform
• Standalone mobile AR hardware, like Google Tango phones
• Tethered smartglasses that require a smartphone, tablet or PC connection, like Meta sunglasses
• Standalone smartglasses that work on their own, like Microsoft HoloLens

The mobile AR software wave is the main reason people are paying attention to AR. Mobile software makes AR accessible to anyone with a smart device.

A great fit for the gaming industry, mobile AR software literally brings games to life by superimposing virtual objects in the player’s real world. Just ask anyone who’s fended off zombies in The Walking Dead’s “Our World” game. But mobile AR promises real-world benefits, too. For example, AR can superimpose arrows and instructions on a new piece of machinery to help train employees on how to operate it. Or AR can guide healthcare professionals to accurately insert IVs by overlaying anatomical configurations on patient’s arms.

Zion Market Research expects the global AR market to rise to $133 billion in the next 4 years.

We’ve been hearing about AR and VR for years, so why the sudden explosion? Apple’s ARKit is now available on all iPhones thanks to the release of iOS 11 this fall, which means it could be on up to 400 million devices by the end of 2018.

What is Apple’s ARKit?

Apple’s ARKit allows developers to create AR apps relying on the phone’s camera, which finds horizontal planes in the room, applies appropriate lighting to virtual objects, and moves real objects in sync with virtual ones. The most important feature is it works fast, so there’s no jarring disconnect. The real and the virtual appear to co-exist seamlessly. Apple also notably emphasized ARKit’s efficient CPU use in the release, so it won’t drain the battery, something that’s been a problem with previous forays into AR like Pokemon Go.

Conclusion

Apple’s release of ARKit is huge for brands. They can now create AR apps to promote their products, encourage adoption, and drive more sales.

As for users? They simply get to enjoy the technology in the AR-enabled apps they download.

This is the first post of a four-part series on Apple’s ARKit. Check in tomorrow to learn how Apple’s ARKit will revolutionize ecommerce.

Michael Quoc is the founder & CEO of Dealspotr, an open shopping platform bringing together up-and-coming brands, influencers, and savvy shoppers around today’s best deals. He was previously the Director of Product Management for Yahoo’s media lab, spearheading the launch of several innovative live video and mobile social networking services. Michael has been awarded nine patents relating to mobile and social network applications and technology. Follow him on Twitter at @michaelquoc.

The post Apple’s ARKit and the Future of AR appeared first on ReadWrite.

Apple’s ARKit has great implications for e-commerce. It’s the next best thing to literally trying before you buy, and you can do it anywhere you have your iPhone with you. Thanks to AR, consumers get a better feel for products before purchasing, increasing cart checkout totals and reducing returns.

But the capabilities of AR promise big things for other industries, too. Here are five surprising ARKit applications that are changing the customer experience for the better.

1. Car Showrooms

Thanks to e-commerce and review sites, the car industry has been slowly shifting to be more customer friendly.

Augmented created a virtual showroom experience of a Mercedes sedan using ARKit. Users can walk around the car, open and close doors, and try out different paint colors, allowing them to get a feel for the car without having a pushy salesman breathing down their shoulder.

Once they choose a model and color, users can take it for a test drive with Vincenzo, and imagine what the car would look like parked next to their apartment building.

2. Ordering Food

Alper Guler of Kabaq Food Technologies created a food ordering app that helps users envision ordering food at a restaurant.

It’s easy to apply the same technology to food delivery and meal kit services like Blue Apron. If consumers can imagine what the finished meal will look like on their table at home, they might be more quick to order or subscribe.

3. Event Marketing

At Disney’s D23 expo this summer, Steve Lukas dropped a “live” Mickey Mouse in front of the conference entrance.

Companies can do something similar to enhance their brand presence at events, creating a virtual game or scavenger hunt experience to direct attendees their way.

4. Online Tutorials

Whether they’re hardcore DIYers or just want to take on a new craft project, one thing that gives customers pause is whether they’ll be able to actually assemble the final advertised product. Online tutorial videos exploded in recent years to help address this problem.

AR transfers the tutorial from YouTube to your very own craft table or garage, helping you put the product together yourself. Artists can gain inspiration from AR experiences like this one, which shows a friendly blob creature drawing a flower according to your command:

5. Product Promotion

From logo decals to product samples, companies are always thinking up new ways to give you freebies along with what you purchased. AR unlocks yet another freebie option, allowing customers to bring the brand to life in their own home. For example, upcoming DVD releases of Star Wards might come with an AR version of BB-8 to watch the film alongside the purchaser:

Alternately, brands can delight customers and cement their loyalty by doing crazy things with their product, like raining endless cans of La Croix down on the floor:

Conclusion

ARKit will come to all iPhones this fall. Until then, stay up to date with the latest ARKit developments by following MadeWithARKit, a Twitter account and blog showcasing the best submissions so far.

Michael Quoc is the founder & CEO of Dealspotr, an open shopping platform bringing together up-and-coming brands, influencers, and savvy shoppers around today’s best deals. He was previously the Director of Product Management for Yahoo’s media lab, spearheading the launch of several innovative live video and mobile social networking services. Michael has been awarded nine patents relating to mobile and social network applications and technology. Follow him on Twitter at @michaelquoc.

The post 5 Unexpected Ways Apple’s ARKit Is Changing the Customer Experience Across Industries appeared first on ReadWrite.