Although augmented reality has been around for years, the technology was still projected as a futuristic concept.
About 60% of customers prefer stores to make AR a part of their experience. Not just that, 40% of them would pay extra fares after experiencing AR.
Think Puma’s AR Code embellished shoes and IKEA’s experiential shopping experience with augmented reality.
But, most companies have not harnessed the power of augmented reality since the troubleshooting is considered complex. However, thanks to QR Codes, the technology can be experienced by everyone with the ease of their smartphones.
With several apps present in the market for various use-cases, let’s take a look at the four best AR Code apps that leverage the power of QR Codes –
#1 Amazon AR App
Amazon recently launched its own augmented reality app that uses QR Codes on its shipping boxes to unlock its features for Halloween. The app called Amazon Augmented Reality (AAR) introduces interactive, shareable augmented reality experiences.
The retailer giant describes the app as a “fun way to reuse your Amazon boxes until you’re ready to drop them in the recycling bin.”
Different shipping boxes display different unique activities for the AR experience. For instance, when a user scans the QR Code, the pumpkin on the box turns itself into a jack-o-lantern.
The new QR code-enabled boxes are only beginning to roll out now, so many customers may not have received one just yet. The boxes are also made using less material than Amazon’s ongoing “Less Packaging, More Smiles” campaign.
App name – Amazon Augmented Reality
App version – 1.7
Developer – AMZN Mobile LLC
Price – Free
Ease of use – 4/5
#2 3DQR
3DQR is one of the fastest-growing apps pioneering augmented reality QR Code based solutions meant for marketing.
The app creates visual insertions in real-time and integrates them into the real production environment. Any industry vertical can use their app to create their own augmented reality experience within minutes without any prior programming knowledge.
Some of their most common industry use-cases are –
- Training and education
- Maintenance and field service
- Marketing
App name – 3DQR 2.0
App version – 2.6.0
Developer – [email protected]
Price – First 10 AR experiences are free for non-commercial projects. Post that, 299 EUR/month
Ease of use – 3.2/5
#3 Gobi
Apple’s latest iOS 14 reveals a new commerce app, Gobi, that reinvents QR Codes and how the Find My App feature will work.
According to Apple, the new augmented reality app can read Apple-branded QR Codes and might have brand new features embedded into the Find My App feature.
The Gobi could be able to read traditional-looking QR Codes and QR Codes of various shapes.
Reports suggest that the Gobi app could use location data to let customers claim discounts at specific Starbucks locations.
Besides, the iOS 14 code displays how to leverage augmented reality in the Apples Find My App. For instance, if someone is looking for an object with Apple’s soon-to-launch AirTags attached, they could immediately hold their smartphone and scan the room for the item.
Yet to be released
#4 AR Code
The AR Code app, or augmented reality QR Code app that creates AR Codes for an immersive experience using QR Codes. The app lets users create, manage, edit, and track AR experiences.
The app’s ‘Flying Over’ AR rendering is supported on Android 4.4 and above, and iOS 11 and above devices via an AR marker. The “immersive” AR rendering is supported on iOS>13.0 (ARkit), Android>9.0 (ARCode), and Magic Leap devices.
The app lets customers add an augmented reality experience via QR Codes on product packaging, food packaging, business cards, brochures, magazines, and more.
The app also has an AR Code API option to let customers include the augmented reality experience for their own apps.
The app is currently only available for iOS users.
App name – AR Code
App version – 2.9
Developer – Maxime Maisonneuve
Price – Free
Ease of use – 3.5/5
How to create an AR QR Code?
Creating an augmented reality QR Codes is easier than one anticipates. To create AR QR Codes, follow these simple steps –
- Go to Beaconstac’s QR Code generator
- Create an augmented reality using a third-party application and grab its URL
- Choose website QR Code and paste the URL link in the box
- Customize the QR Code by adding an AR logo, changing eyes, and template
- If the QR Code is age-sensitive, do not forget to add age-gated restrictions
- Download and enjoy the experience
Will AR QR Codes be the future of an experiential world?
The augmented reality technology witnessed its record growth in 2019.
71% of consumers said that they would shop more often if retailers used augmented reality, and yet only 15% of retailers leverage the technology.
Augmented reality empowers customers with the ability to visualize and customize services. Big tech names like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are exploring this field. The power of QR Codes, in conjunction with augmented reality, can yield promising results.
According to a report by Gartner, at least 100 million users were expected to leverage AR-enabled shopping technology by 2020. Several retailers such as American Apparel, Uniqlo, and Zara have deployed their showrooms and virtual fitting rooms with augmented reality.
In addition to QR Codes, technologies such as RFID tags and NFC also have the ability to fetch recommendations to the brick-and-mortar stores.
David Saab, an information scientist, says, “One issue with technology-enabled information gathering is that most of the content is static.”
QR Codes let business owners edit, customize, and deliver enterprise-scaled projects within a scan. The popularity of consumer apps has been a driving force in pushing people towards their smartphones and tablets.
When coupled with QR Codes, augmented reality drives the urge to a deeper level, helping businesses and marketers sell their products at ease.
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