It is pointed out that Apple is one of the reasons why AR content is not popular enough



'

WebXR ' is a group of APIs that can acquire information for enjoying virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) contents from a web browser without having to bother to install a dedicated application. It has been pointed out that Safari, Apple's standard browser on iOS, does not officially support this WebXR at the time of writing the article, which is holding back the spread of AR content.

Apple WebXR: Web-based AR doesn't work on iPhones --Protocol
https://www.protocol.com/entertainment/apple-webxr-ar-ios-iphone

Apple targeted for Safari lacking WebXR support --9to5Mac
https://9to5mac.com/2022/05/09/apple-targeted-for-safari-lacking-webxr-support-despite-companys-ar-vr-ambitions/

Apple is working on AR device development with a team of about 1000 engineers, and Apple CEO Tim Cook said in 2017 when he introduced an AR framework dedicated to mobile apps, 'AR will change everything. Let's do it. ' In addition, Apple is reported to be launching a standalone AR headset with Wi-Fi 6E in 2022.

Apple's first VR / AR headset leaks to support 'Wi-Fi 6E' in 2022, VR market is in the three of Apple, Meta, Sony-GIGAZINE



However, while Apple has invested heavily in developing its own AR devices, it has been reluctant to use web-based AR, IT news site Protocol points out. In fact, Safari, which is installed as standard on the iPhone, does not support web-based AR.

Christopher Repkowski, an immersive computing expert who develops AR content on Netflix, Warner Brothers, Discovery Channel, and more, said, 'Safari's lack of support for web-based AR is driving AR. It's a big hindrance. Apple is holding back innovation in web AR. '

In the early days when general users could enjoy AR, it was almost always necessary to install a dedicated app to enjoy AR content that can be experienced on smartphones. However, Jason Steinberg, managing partner of AR technology marketing agency Pretty Big Monster , argues that the hassle of having to download a dedicated app deprives consumers of the opportunity to become familiar with AR. ..

'Every time you click something, 50% of your audience can leave. Forcing users to download and install apps increases the probability that users will leave exponentially,' Steinberg said. Said.


by Tony Buser

The solution to these problems is 'WebXR,' which is an API standard specification for experiencing AR content on a browser. WebXR is a specification developed jointly by browser makers and device makers such as Google, Meta, Samsung, Mozilla, and Magic Leap, and it will be possible to launch AR content directly from the website.

Chrome for Android will start supporting WebXR from 2018. Samsung and Opera also supported WebXR in browsers for smartphones and tablets in 2020. However, Apple's Safari for iOS does not yet support WebXR at the time of writing the article. In addition, Apple is forcing third-party browsers for iOS to be based on Safari's rendering engine, WebKit , so Google's Chrome and Mozilla's Firefox can't support WebXR on the iPhone.

As of April 2022, the iPhone's share of the smartphone market is 27.68 % worldwide, 57.58% in the United States, and 63.7% in Japan. As a result, most consumers are unable to access AR content from their smartphones.

According to a survey by AR Insider , an AR-related news site, only 15% of users have touched AR content on a web basis, and more than 50% have touched AR content from apps such as Snapchat and Instagram. He said he had done it before.



In addition, it seems that Apple does not intend to completely ignore WebXR. 'Apple is enthusiastic about WebXR,' said Masiev Stakoviak, head of the WebKit development team, on Twitter in August 2021.



In fact, Apple is experimentally adding support for the WebXR API to Safari in beta versions of iOS 15.4 and iOS 15.5.

Checking the current status of WebXR Device API in iOS 15.4
https://zenn.dev/ikkou/articles/6f546b11ced571

However, Apple's roadmap for WebXR hasn't been revealed, so it's unclear when Safari for iOS will officially support WebXR.

Related Posts:

in Software,   Web Service,   Hardware, Posted by log1i_yk