Now available at Afghan Wireless, the iPhone X is the best device yet for exploring the exciting new world of Augmented Reality (AR). An innovative technology that layers digital images, information, and data over a picture of the real-life world—like the one visible through the camera’s display on a smartphone—AR is transforming both the way we use digital devices and the way we see the physical world.
If you’re curious about AR, here are eight great apps that can help give you a taste of what this increasingly accessible new technology is all about:
-
JigSpace
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering “How does that work?,” JigSpace is ready to provide the answer in the form of informational 3-D graphics. Known as “jigs,” these graphics offer a truly interactive knowledge-sharing experience that goes beyond any type of learning that has previously been possible. With JigSpace, you can view step-by-step 3-D breakdowns of some of the world’s most complex ideas and phenomena, from how doctors insert a stent into an artery of the human heart to how an atomic bomb works. With dozens of jigs already available, the next step for the app is a Jig Workshop, which will allow users to create their own jigs and share them with others.
-
Sky Guide
An amazing app for astronomy lovers, Sky Guide from Fifth Star Labs tells you exactly what stars you’re gazing at in real time. When you point your phone at the night sky, the app will show you all the stars, constellations, and planets that are overhead in your area—even if cloud cover is obscuring the sky’s visibility. To learn more about a particular celestial body, simply tap on it to open up a page with additional details and information.
-
Complete Anatomy
An immensely useful app for medical students and professors, as well as anyone else—from dancers and athletes to physiotherapists and kinesiologists—who works with the human body, Complete Anatomy gives you access to the most detailed 3-D anatomy model ever created. Featuring high-fidelity textures and incredible levels of anatomical accuracy, Complete Anatomy is an amazing and immersive way to explore anatomical structures in physical space.
-
My Very Hungry Caterpillar
For nearly 50 years, Eric Carle’s picture book The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been a favorite of children all around the world. Now, the new My Very Hungry Caterpillar app brings this beloved story to life in AR. You become part of the story by hatching the caterpillar from an egg, feeding him, and helping him explore the world around him, whether in your living room or your local park. Youngsters will especially enjoy watching him grow bigger and bigger, until the magical moment when he transforms into a beautiful butterfly. Designed for preschoolers, the interactive My Very Hungry Caterpillar app is an excellent way for children to play in the digital world while staying connected to the physical one.
-
ARise
This amazing 3-D puzzle game projects a scalable, tabletop-sized landscape onto your environment (your living room floor, for example), and your mission is to guide your character all around the tiny world, using visual cues to solve puzzles along the way. The rich 3-D game world is a delight to explore from every angle; and indeed, you must explore it from every angle in order to move through it, as there are no physical controls like taps or swipes. If you like what you see, you can also take photos as you move through the game world.
-
Fitness AR
If you want to add a little extra pizzazz to your standard biking, running, or walking routes, Fitness AR works together with the Strava fitness app to overlay beautiful 3-D terrain maps onto your real-world Strava routes. The app also includes a gorgeous gallery of featured rides and runs, so you can explore some of the world’s most famous cycling routes, like Mont Ventoux or Alpe d’Huez, or stunning walking terrain, such as the Yosemite Valley.
-
MLB’s At Bat
The official app of Major League Baseball has had an exciting new AR makeover that makes it easier to keep your eyes on the game while still getting the important stats and player info you want to know. Simply point your camera at the live-action game taking place in front of you, and key stats and details will pop up on the screen above the real-life players.
-
IKEA Place
No more waiting to find out if that new couch you’ve got your eye on will look good in your living room: IKEA Place uses AR to show you a digital version of how any item of IKEA furniture will look in your space. The app uses room dimensions to automatically scale furniture with a 98% accuracy rate, and you can even see a realistic representation of the item’s texture and of how it will look with light from your windows falling across it. If you need a second opinion, you can save the digital images and send them as photos to your friends and family.