Augmented reality has a more immediate application than VR since it only requires a smartphone, letting virtual objects be viewed within the real world.

AR in retail

AR lets customers try before they buy, reducing churn and enhancing physical and online shopping alike. Retailers like IKEA and Home Depot already use it to preview furniture and paint in real spaces.

AR for utility

Beyond retail, AR apps like measuring tools and location-aware guides have broad utility use cases.

Tools

Lens Studio and ARKit are two accessible starting points for building AR experiences.

AR should stay in service of the customer journeys that matter, not novelty for its own sake.