How AR/VR Integration in Mobile Apps Can Drive Business Growth

Learn how AR/VR integration in mobile apps is revolutionizing business strategies. These technologies enhance customer interactions, boost engagement, and optimize internal processes. By providing immersive experiences and improving sales funnels, businesses can achieve increased conversions and long-term growth.

Updated 9 December 2024

Anand Prakash
Anand Prakash

VP – Pre Sales at Appventurez

Bill Gates once said, “We Are Changing The World With Technology”. And this is something that is happening in reality with the constant evolution of technologies.

The tussle of having the best technology is such that business organizations are constantly looking for new ways and means of outwitting their rivals. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are some of the most recent advancements in the realm of technology for businesses.

These technologies are changing how businesses engage their consumer base, and the adoption of AR/VR tools in mobile apps presents progressive opportunities for business expansion. Therefore, in this article, we shall be discussing how the integration of augmented reality and virtual reality in mobile applications can assist businesses in their development and the ways it can be effective in numerous fields. Let’s begin with what exactly AR and VR are.

What is Augmented Reality?

Augmented Reality (AR) can be defined as the live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual computer-generated imagery. AR is related to but does not replace reality as fully as virtual reality does. Augmented reality just adds layers to real reality.

For instance, a user can use their smartphone to capture an area they wish to change the furniture in, and the AR technology will show them how any given furniture will look in the room. AR is available as mobile applications for smartphones and tablets, or even as a helmet-mounted application for augmented reality glasses allowing the user to interact with the virtual objects in a real environment.

One clear example of AR in action is in navigation applications like Google Maps. Using AR, users can see real-time directional arrows overlaid on street view while holding their smartphones. The primary purpose of AR is to augment real-world events with computer-generated information, enhancing usability and serving essential functions in everyday life. Now, let’s take a look at virtual reality.

What is Virtual Reality?

Virtual Reality (VR), on the other hand, is a completely segregated digital environment that puts the users directly into the exposure. VR is typically experienced by users with headsets, which completely immerse them in an artificial environment. This area is applicable in gaming, simulations for learning, training, and travel around a virtual environment.

For example, healthcare in VR lets medical practitioners master delicate operations and then perform the operations on real patients. Just like in real estate, they employ virtual reality that offers potential buyers tours of homes and properties hence enhancing the buying process effectively in the market.

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Statistics on the AR/VR Mobile App Development Market

The AR/VR market is rapidly growing at the international level. As per a report by Statista, the market size of AR/VR is expected to grow up to 62 billion USD by 2029 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.9%. This rapid growth is a result of the enhanced realization of the use of AR/VR in mobile Applications across different sectors such as retail, healthcare, entertainment, and education.

The Data for the mobile AR/VR app development market shows that this industry has potential growth for its usage, because of the growing number of mobile subscriptions and the development of smartphones and their capabilities. For instance, in 2021, global smartphone users reached 7.41 billion USD, a statistic that keeps on adding up. Due to the sophistication of smartphones, AR and VR apps are now relatively easy to be adopted by enterprises or consumers.

Industries Reaping the Benefits of AR/VR Integration

advantage of integrating AR-VR in mobile app

The integration of AR/VR has helped many businesses reduce costs and achieve better results. Several industries are already benefiting significantly from the adoption of AR/VR technologies, as explained below.

  • AR/VR in Retail and e-commerce

Retail and e-commerce websites are among the most popular uses of AR, with industry giants like IKEA and Sephora leading the way. These applications allow customers to visualize how a product will look in their home or on them before making a purchase.

  • AR in the healthcare sector

The use of VR and AR in the healthcare sector is civilized training and improving real-world use. In training, VR enables mimicking of actual medical procedures, while in practice AR can project important data on the operating field, enhancing the likelihood of correct choices by the professionals.

  • AR/VR in Education and Training

One of the fields where AR and VR have a largely positive impact on the evolution of education. These technologies enhance the learning experience by providing concepts like virtual field trips and interactive science learning. Currently, tools like AR and VR are showing where a student’s visualization is important and they also assist the student in becoming more engaged with the lesson.

Real-Life Examples of Top Brands Integrating AR/VR in Businesses

  • IKEA’s Use of AR/VR

IKEA is providing a better experience of shopping for its furniture pieces and other products as the company has recently launched what is known as the IKEA Place an Augmented reality app that would allow customers to make their orders to place their furniture items first right in their homes. It means that through the use of this AR technology, customers can see how different pieces of furniture and furniture will fit and look in their homes, solving most of the problems associated with concerns of size, style, and compatibility with existing décor.

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  • L’Oreal’s AR Application

Currently, in the beauty industry, L’Oreal has used augmented reality well with its Makeup Genius App. This augmented reality tool enables customers to experiment with makeup products by placing the selected products on the face using a mobile device. Customers can test various shades of lipsticks, eyeshadows, foundations, etc., without leaving their homes, and all the changes are real-time. The beauty of it is, that with L’Oreal’s app, there is no guesswork involved in selecting makeup – something which customers dislike when shopping physically.

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  • Walmart’s Use of VR for Training

Another example of virtual reality in the current world is its use by Walmart in handling the training of its employees in handling virtual customers. By this, new employees and old ones are modeled to work in virtual scenarios that enable one to deal with different customer situations from helping them to find products to dealing with some aggressive ones. In establishing these realistic located worlds, Walmart can give practical training that might not have dreadful results in the real world.

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  • AR in the Automotive Industry

The automotive industry has also used augmented reality in the improvement of the buying experience for the customer. Car giants such as Audi and BMW have applied AR streams to display cords of their cars to possible clients who can get a closer look at the models without having to be physically close to the car. This live mode allows customers to test various aspects of the car, including interior, safety features, and technological upgrades, using just a smartphone or AR glasses aimed at a stylized model of the car.

Automotive industry

 

How can AR/VR Support Businesses?

There are several opportunities available for businesses when AR and VR technologies are implemented into mobile apps. One of the tremendous advantages of using a podcast as a medium for instruction is the improvement in the customer experience. It means that the businesses, using the additional features such as the immersive characterization can provide a more engaging experience to their customers.

However, using an AR/VR tool can cause sales to go up. These could be virtual fits or product simulations that assist the actual users to make better decisions in a store thereby improving their likelihood of a purchase. For businesses that deal with real estate, customers can even take virtual tours of various structures hence increasing the chances of making sales for such firms.

AR and VR reflect the operational efficiency in aspects of training and prototyping. VR training provides learners with a safe environment in which they can practice in order to reduce the costs of training while enhancing employees’ competency sets. Similarly, AR assists workers in doing their tasks by explaining essential information at the time of the process.

How can Businesses Use AR/VR in Mobile Apps?

Therefore, the integration of AR/VR in mobile applications for business development is a strategic process. First of all, organizations have to define what they want to accomplish using AR/VR: whether they are going to focus on the customer satisfaction level, try to streamline their processes, or boost sales. After determining the objectives, these companies have to select the right platform and tools for development.

The next step is to create a beautiful app that is intuitive and easy to use at the same time. The application interface of the app must be rather seamless, effective, and have good graphics quality. Making the app consonant with multiple devices, particularly smartphones is also crucial for adoption.

Thus, companies should also use information analytics as one of the tools to track usage and the effectiveness of the app with integrated AR and VR. This information can be used in an optimizing way to help improve the experience for the user as well as fine-tune the specific features of the app.

The Problems and the Constraints of Mobile App Development of AR/VR

As we’ve read how AR/VR integration can help businesses, let us understand what are the drawbacks of this technology. Although they do not overpower the benefits, here are a few problems and constraints of mobile app development of AR/VR:

  • High Development Costs

Augmented Reality or Virtual Reality applications need to integrate skills and tools different from conventional applications, which increases costs dramatically. The development of engaging environments requires system knowledge in 3D graphics, virtual reality, and temporal visualization.

Furthermore computing apparatus about which pricey application clusters are developed like high-performing workstations and motion tracking systems augment the cost.

  • Hardware Limitations

Another problem in the AR/VR industry is the low availability of high-performance equipment to support the work of specialists. The ownership varies a lot, and many of the targeted users do not have possession of the required devices for proper AR/VR experience such as an advanced smartphone with movement sensors for AR or high-end VR headsets for virtual environment.

These restrictions preclude their usage more often, especially in the areas, where peoples has little extra cash or where such devices are considered as a mere product of the upper class.

  • User Adoption

As much as there is a growing interest in the technology there is still a major challenge in penetration of the technology among users. Despite the availability of such devices, a section of the potential users have no understanding of how they work or cannot see any application for them in their daily lives.

While experiencing augmented reality or wearing a virtual reality headset, the learning curve is relatively high particularly among individuals with low technical skills in the use of devices. On the same note, the use of AR/VR can be uncomfortable or inconvenient for some people and thus cannot be integrated into their day-to-day lives.

AR/VR Mobile App Development in the Future

The future of AR/VR app development looks bright because as new technologies and additions appear, the mega possibilities of AR/VR applications will only improve, in light of advancements such as 5G networks. Retaining constant advancements in hardware and software, AR/VR will set a deeper penetration into everyday life, disrupting industries and providing new areas for business development.

Further, when the technology becomes popular within the market, companies will get more chances to improve customer delight and increase efficiency and profitability. Thus, such integration as AR/VR in mobile apps demonstrates a great opportunity for business development and further experimentation.

No matter if it is increasing customer satisfaction, achieving increased sales, or making better training offers, the opportunities are great.

How can Appventurez Help?

By now, one thing is clear AR/VR app development is a huge industry and people are eagerly trying to incorporate AR/VR services into their business models. Well, Appventurez is one of the best app development companies providing app development services for a long while. Our team of dedicated professionals makes sure that the app development takes place as per business requirements and requests from clients. Therefore, get a mobile app for your business now!Customized app development solutions

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    Anand Prakash
    Anand Prakash

    VP – Pre Sales at Appventurez

    Anand specializes in sales and business development as its VP - Sales and Presales. He supervises the pre-sales process by upscaling on establishing client relationships. He skillfully deploys instruments such as cloud computing, automation, data centers, information storage, and analytics to evaluate clients’ business activities.