Truth be told, the reality of Augmented Reality venture capitalism & commercial potential of AR investments is different from any other industry. In fact, the mixed reality business tends to be the next phase of computing which is revolutionizing day-to-day experiences to an all-new and entirely unexpected level. Augmented reality mobile app development is a technology that overlays real-world environments with digital augmentation. Though it is a known fact that the industry biggies are constantly pouring in funds for the development of AR, these days we can see the investment being made in the arena of AR by small business ventures and firms as well. Today the investment is being made in multiple sectors like general customer service, advertising, marketing, entertainment, distribution, hardware, etc. If you are looking to know how to develop ar apps? In this blog, We will talk about the augmented reality app development process with cost and features.

AR is capable of impacting not just how people play & exercise (for example Pokemon GO), but even how they work, learn, communicate, transact & consume content. All of it is transforming, owing to the AR revolution. Meanwhile, the potential for mobile apps developed with the use of Augmented Reality technology is immense as it advances and increases the productivity & profitability of the enterprise. Also, apart from training & logistics, AR also comes useful for security, analytics, data collection, and quality testing, which are all the sub-categories that can highly benefit from enhanced visualizations coming with AR.

Thus, it is clear that the AR app can potentially increase customer accessibility and engagement as well as be useful for building brand recognition and the company’s profitability along with providing support and receiving customer feedback. Going by the latest surveys & revenue forecasts, it is expected that Virtual and augmented Reality apps will be hitting an all-time high by the year 2020. As stated by Digi-Capital, AR will be three times as profitable as VR, mainly for enterprise users.

how to develop ar apps

Thus, it is not surprising at all that the entirety of the business sector presently jumps on the AR bandwagon. Most companies have realized and the rest are realizing the enormous potential in the AR app investments and they are looking for ways to capitalize on them. In this blog, we will be walking you through the great potential of Augmented Reality application development and also the factors that affect its development cost. So, to begin with, let’s understand AR.

Related Post: Why Augmented Reality is the Best Tool for Marketing & Advertising?

What is Augmented Reality and How to Develop AR Apps?

The concepts of VR & AR are not wholly new, as the first-ever funny VR helmets appeared in the 60s of the XX century, whereas the elements of augmented reality were created in the 90s. Though, it is only now, in this second decade of the 21st century, when the computer powers have reached such a high time that time has come that we reflect on the issue of the AR app development cost. In simple words, Augmented Reality is a technology, that supplements the surrounding environment with images & information that are created by special technical tools and it enhances the user’s immediate environment via digital data. As per analysts from CCS Insight, the VR & AR market has grown exponentially by 47% in the year 2017, and it is further expected to amount to $1.6 billion.

How Augmented Reality work?

augmented reality app development

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Here we present the general way to create AR:

  • The optical scanner (camera) of the device will identify images of real objects;
  • Device software will analyze resulting images & select or calculate visible augments corresponding to them.
  • Now the real images are combined with their augments & outputted to the visualization device. This way augmented reality occurs.

Here are the means used to create AR:

  • Mobile devices (mobile phones & tablets)
  • AR glasses
  • TV or the computer screen
  • A game computer like Kinect
  • A means to play AR in the open space
  • A special means (different simulators, medical equipment)

Now we are on a mission to find out AR app development cost, it is better to be paying attention to the first version of creating AR (with the use of the mobile device). Here the mobile device camera will transmit captured images to the downloaded app. Then the program will recognize this very image, select content related to it (video, text, 3D model), & display the resulting picture on the device screen in a manner that you will be able to see the AR effect. At times, you can even provide your user with the possibility to manage & adjust the AR object (like scale or turn it). Meanwhile, AR visualization features are limited only by developers’ imagination & your budget, or as demanding as your requests, the more the AR app will cost.

Classification of the Augmented Reality Apps

These are divided into:

  • Autonomic apps: This is not designed for interaction with the user to get extra information. These kinds of services offer additional data regarding real-world objects.
  • Interactive Apps: These consist of interacting with the user & enabling him to choose the data type that is to be visualized. At the same time, a user can also change the parameters & properties of the virtual objects. These systems need the presence of input devices, like a touch screen of a mobile device or maybe a computer mouse.

Talking about the degree of mobility, these systems of AR can be divided into two types:

  • Stationary systems which are designed to work in a single place;
  • Mobile systems that are intended to function in a dynamic mode & with various real-world objects.
augmented reality mobile app development - cta

Related Articles: How Much it cost to Develop an AR Shopping App like IKEA

Who is Required to Invest in Augmented Reality App Development?

You can gauge the significance of AR technology by the fact that biggies like Microsoft, Facebook & Google are closely paying attention to it, while Apple has also introduced AR and its usage in its latest mobile release iPhone Xs& iPhone X Max, these both will be supporting AR technology. Just as we mentioned below, AR technology can be used in numerous fields, be it in healthcare to ease patient diagnosis, education sector, manufacturing for modeling & product design, as well as in commerce and e-retail to stimulate sales, etc. All in all, it would be right to say that apps with AR are going to take your communication with your customers to an all-new level. Thus, even the highest AR app development cost will be absolutely justified and worth it. Industries that can benefit from the AR apps are:

  • Entertainment Industry
  • Real Estate
  • Architecture
  • Industry
  • Retail & E-commerce
  • Education
  • Advertising & Marketing
  • Medicine
  • Lifestyle

What are the Benefits of Developing an Augmented Reality app?

how to develop AR apps is an important question but before that, we should know some advantages of augmented reality iPhone app development. What AR does is that it contributes to the marketing & promotion of services, and products, thus significantly enhancing user involvement in sales/entertainment, creating an emotional connection between your brand & your consumer. The AR app development costs are well justified as this unique technology enables you to: Turn a market leader with customers seeing that your business keeps pace with the changing times. Enhance customer interaction as AR technology turns out to be a competitive advantage of the firm. Does it basically offer new & exciting experiences to the users that leave them feeling indifferent? Expand the marketing opportunities as the entertainment, interactivity & novelty created by AR forces people to share their experiences via social networking. This kind of consumer reaction greatly increases the market opportunities for business. Hence, the benefits of AR technology are pretty clear, so next, let’s move to the competitors that you will face in the arena.

Visit Also: How Much Does It Cost to Build A Messenger App Like Botim?

ar app development

Competition in the Augmented Reality Industry

Many brands don’t think of AR features as it turns out to be a technologically complex and expensive affair. But since the launch of iOS 11 by Apple the Augmented reality app development process has simplified and accelerated for good. Brands like Ikea, Patron Tequila, and Wayfair have jumped above other apps and taken great advantage of the possibilities by launching new AR applications or supplementing already existing services with the latest AR features. Hire an augmented reality app development company in India Octal to develop AR apps.

ikea

IKEA: A catalog of over 2,000 3D products depending on the type of furniture required or designer collection is presented by the Ikea application if you are looking for interior objects. After that, the user can look up to the Chabot to place that chosen model in a specific environment correctly. In order to scan the floor in the presence of a user, the requirement of a camera is there. You can move furniture virtually around your room, alternate the size of objects, and get other beneficial features. The ease of product selection is one of the outstanding features of the Ikea application. The brain behind the app was to recoup the AR app’s total expenditure and get maximum benefit. This goal has certainly been achieved by going by the numbers.

giphy

GIPHY World:  This app helps you out in placing outrageous GIFs in the 3D space. A unique type of URL is presented which can be edited and shared with friends. The company provides you with various and unique types of animated images to use but if they don’t fit your bill, you can upload images of your liking from the internet. With such advanced features, the app was always going to be a costly one but the owners took a risk and trusted their guts, and that risk paid off.

carrot

CARROT Weather: The introduction of augmented reality has completely changed the looks of CARROT Weather which is a famous traditional weather app. People who own devices with iOS 11 can easily check the latest weather updates, weather forecasts, and other important updates in a gorgeous 3D model.

tape

tape measure: Different kinds of surfaces are measured in Augmented Reality by this application. Using this tool, users can easily create a specific floor plan and even a unique 3D room model that is then exported to Sketch UP or other CAD-supported software. With such great success, the owners would not think about the development cost even one bit.

patron

Patron Tequila: A free app in the name of Patron Experience has been built by the Patron Tequila Company only for promotional purposes. Users are allowed to construct their self-agave field on any of the flat surfaces. After this a distillery pops up on your screen and Barman narrates Its brand story and on top of that offers some exciting notes from some of its selected products. On its opening day, the app garnered six 5-star reviews on the app store. So we can say the cost that went into it was worth it.

Related Blog: Embedded Software Development – A Comprehensive Guide

augmented reality app development cost

Augmented Reality App Development Cost [Major Factors]

Even though more and more businesses have begun to realize the great potential of AR apps in enhancing company profitability, still there is a huge shortage of highly functional and well-developed AR apps available in the market. The various reasons for this are highly debatable, however going by the amount of experience & time we have within the industry, it can be said that often enterprises fail to consider the dynamics of active AR mobile apps and thus fail to budget well an integrated app solution. To develop AR apps you will need a top AR app development company. Thus, here we have outlined the different factors that influence the development cost of AR app development to facilitate your future decisions.

Platform & Business Model:

So, in the case of AR mobile apps, they come in all shapes & sizes, and function on numerous platforms, including iOS for iPhone & iPad, Android, and the PC/Web, as well as Windows Phone. The development cost of the AR app will vary as per the platform the app is based on. Besides, the platform, the business model for commercial AR apps also greatly influences the cost of AR app development. Like, will the AR app be free to download, or you will sell your app for a fixed selling price in the market will there be an in-app purchase option or the app will require full e-commerce functionalities in order to make it profitable So, all these things will certainly affect the entire cost of the AR app. Meanwhile, the app costs range from $ 50000 to $250,000, whereas in extreme cases, in case it is a complex gaming app, the cost may reach $2,500,000.

cta- how to develop ar apps

App Complexity:

This is another vital deciding factor in finding out the final price of the mobile app & its development. The app user interface is crucial in the case of the AR app. Though Web/PC apps need a simpler interface, in the case of tablets & smartphones they need far more complex & expensive user interfaces. In the case of smartphone apps, the ones developed on iOS may be comparatively cheaper when compared to an Android app, allowing the complexity of Google’s app development platform for mobile. The apps on Android are harder to develop and take double the effort & time, thus they cost more.

Features & Design of App:

The design, functionality & features of the AR app majorly influence the app cost. The app’s technical specifications, whether it is a list-based, a database-based app, or one with/without a server or an API component will affect the app cost. Besides, the creativity in the case of an AR app display & user-interface design matter as well. The more appealing and interactive the features an app has, the more time will be spent on the app by the user. And the more time is spent by the user, the more will be the monetary gain for the business entrepreneur. Thus, the more features in the app to make it appealing to users, the costlier it will be.

Choice of App Development Company:

One of the biggest factors that affect the cost of the AR mobile app is the choice of an Augmented Reality App Development Company. Firstly, the rate of the app developers is affected by the location, like if the development firm falls in:

  • USA & Canada, the rate will vary from $100-$250/hour
  • Western Europe, the rate will vary from $80-$150/hour
  • Eastern Europe, the rate will vary from $25-$100/hour
  • In India, the rate is usually up to $55/hour

So in this blog, we have discussed in detail how to develop AR apps. Hence, you can easily make out that the most profitable would be to hire the AR App developers in the Indian region, as then even when you hire the largest development firm, the overall app cost would be around $ 50,000-1,00,000. (please change the cost as per what we offer in Octal) By now, it must be clear to you that developing an app is not easy and this makes it all the more necessary to get the help of seasoned app developers. Once you have an interest in a development firm, you can send a query and then you can discuss the needs further to get the exact cost that will go into the development of an AR app. If you need any kind of augmented reality app development services, then hire our dedicated Android and iOS app developers.

Checkout More: Best Low Code Mobile App Development Platforms

Required Technology Stack for Augmented Reality App Development

The cost to develop an augmented reality app depends on your business requirements, features, and what you want to offer to the end-users. The tech stack plays a major role in determining the cost of augmented reality app development.

The Key Takeaway!

Augmented reality has grown over the years and changed the way the industries operate. The concept of augmented reality is welcomed by all business verticals and if you want to offer something out-of-the-box to your users, then invest in augmented reality app development. 

Our team of developers and designers can build an app that helps you deliver the best experience to your customers and stay ahead of the competition.

FAQs

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THE AUTHOR
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Palak Khandelwal is a seasoned tech blogger with a passion for exploring the ever-evolving landscape of technology. With years of experience in the industry, Palak brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her engaging and informative blog.

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