Google ARCore vs Apple ARKit: Which Augmented Reality Development Kit Is Better?
Augmented reality is here to stay with Google's ARCore and Apple's ARKit now available for developers. Both allow developers to make their own apps for the iOS and Android platforms, which begs the question: Which of the two is better?
After the failure of Google Glass, it seemed that AR technology was doomed to be shelved for the foreseeable future. However, tech giants Google and Apple didn't give up on AR and launched their own developer kits.
Apple revealed its software during the Worldwide Developers Conference in back in June. Google soon followed suit releasing its own software development kit on Tuesday, with the goal of bringing AR to 100 million people.
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Google's software can now be run on devices such as the Pixel, Pixel XL and Samsung Galaxy S8 which are all running Android 7.0 Nougat and above. It uses the AR-based Tango platform, which is also supported by phones such as the Asus ZenFone AR. The company is already working with manufacturers to maintain a consistent bar for quality and high performance.
On the other hand, Apple's kit will be integrated with iOS 11 once it is launched later this year. The software utilizes a tracking technology called Visual Inertial Odometry to the monitor the world around a device. Using the sensors available on Apple devices, it maps a room with accuracy and without the need for user calibration.
From the get go, it seems that ARCore has the edge over the ARKit mainly because Google has had more time to develop it. However, Apple's technology, which it dubs "scene understanding," and its developer kit are compatible with AR experiences being designed using software such as the Unreal Engine.
Apple's software also has the advantage when it comes to compatible devices. With Google's AR technology being spawned from the Tango project which centered on making compatible phones with special hardware, it needs to integrate the functionality into the Android operating system itself. This means that ARCore will only be able to utilize the smartphone's camera to digitally overlay objects.
Apple's ARKit certainly has the technology and developmental freedom going for it with both the OS and compatible devices being propriety products of the company. In contrast, Google can only utilize the Android OS in developing its AR technology; however, that will likely change once it is able to work with smartphone manufacturers.
Both companies need to widen their gains though, as other tech companies are working on their own AR technology.
