Among the different features that were showcased to be coming with the new iPhones, namely the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and the iPhone X, one of the biggest "wow" moments of Apple's presentation would have to be its demo of the devices' AR system. The new smartphones have been shown to be fully equipped to run augmented reality games and apps, which is thanks to its powerful new A11 Bionic processor and its advanced camera system.
The future of AR
In a recent post published by Niantic's CEO John Hanke, the "Pokémon Go" creator explained that Apple's new technology is a step in the right direction for AR technology.
Given the immense success of his company's own augmented reality mobile video game, Hanke has put a lot of faith in the future of the technology and he sees Apple's move as a great way of bringing it further into the mainstream.
Amazing technology
During Apple's Special Event presentation at its new Steve Jobs Theater, the Cupertino-based giant showcased the capabilities of its new AR system with a demo of a brand new mobile game. The upcoming new game, titled "The Machines," is powered by Epic's Unreal Engine 4 and allows players to literally be "in the game" as they are playing it. The real-time multiplayer mobile game, developed by Directive Games, also allows players to view the ongoing battle in any angle as well as experience audio that adjusts to the player's position in the real world.
Check out the game's demo during the Apple Keynote event at the Steve Jobs Theater:
Somewhat limited
Despite his praises for the new iPhone's augmented reality system, the CEO still mentioned that there are still some limitations when it comes to how the technology was used and its level of development. Hanke clarified that AR is not just about overlaying digital objects and annotations on a smartphone's screen, but it is about fully marrying digital information with reality.
The CEO apparently envisions a future where real-world items are integrated with their respective digital information. This includes subways with overlaid maps and directions, shopping items with prices and even an image of a user wearing or using the item, tourist spots with historical facts, and other applications. This is, of course, still possible with the new iPhones, but the real goal of AR according to the CEO would be to have all of the information available without the need to look through a mobile phone's screen.
