Apple exploded on social media feeds Tuesday morning, starting with leaks and rumors that missed the mark, before then sparking a second flurry of activity with an AR teaser. Apple is a savvy marketer and knows exactly how to build excitement, and with an event just around the corner, that excitement is building quickly.
Apple's AR teaser appears on the website in a special Apple Events link that isn't accessible via the navigation currently. It shows an animation of the date 9.15 transforming into a stylized Apple logo and back again in a continuous loop. It wasn't clear that this was an AR object at the time it first appeared. If the animation is touched or clicked, the augmented reality option appears. It announces the next Apple Event which takes place on September 15, 2020 at 10 a.m. 'Join us at Apple Park' is the only other message given, driving fans mad with anticipation.
Head of Marketing for Apple, Greg Joswiak also teased the announcement on Twitter, this time showing it as an AR object animating directly in front of the entrance to Apple Park. It's quite an interesting view of the mesmerizing effect and one that isn't likely to be topped by anyone else's background choice. The AR object was also sent via an invitation email.
How To Use AR View
To view in augmented reality, simply touch or click the animation in any of the places it is seen. This opens in object view, which shows the object on a white background. By selecting the AR tab a translucent version will appear on screen hovering over the real world, as seen by your device's camera. On screen instructions direct the user to move the device side to side to get a sense of the geometry that is in view. When the scan is complete the object will solidify. At that point it can be dragged and resized. Then it behaves like a real world object as long as it is viewed on screen. The user can move around and view it from different angles.
Given that Apple has been pushing augmented reality for several years, many are hoping to learn something of Apple Glass, a rumored product that, if real, would be Apple's first head-mounted display. Apple Glass is not likely to be released any time soon, but a tease isn't out of the question. What is more likely, is that Apple will be advancing its AR agenda with more apps, more development kits announcements and LiDAR. For reference, the newest iPhone 12 is expected to feature LiDAR.
Source: Greg Joswiak/Twitter, Apple