WWDC 2018: AR for multiplayer and NFC with new capabilities

Today, Apple will show off its new products at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2018). There are many expectations and rumors about what exactly we will see. It is practically certain that new versions of the system will be presentedóIn operational, perhaps a refreshed Apple Watch’and something new in terms of smart speaker Home Pod. The most interesting news, however, may be about AR and NFC.

ARKit 2.0

On the Internet mówi wi that on Monday Apple will unveil a tool that allows augmented reality to be split into twoóThe company is also working on a new way to make AR more accessible across devices, while limiting the transfer of private user dataów. Krótko móso this will be the second version of the ARKit API.

Google and Apple are competing strongly on the AR ground, trying to attract developers with their solutionsów. Both companies are looking for a solution thatóre allows twoóm people to share data so that they can see the same virtual object, in the same environment, using separate devices. However, this solution raises privacy concerns – if AR apps become widespread, everyone will be scanning their homes and other private spaces.

Unlike Google’s solution, Apple’s solution allows dwóplayers to transfer data between phones. The Mountain View-based company unveiled its multiplayer AR solution in May. The system, called. Cloud Anchors, requires the first player to scan the environment and upload that data to Google’s servers, where it goes through further processingóbka. A second player sends a scan with less data, enough to pair the phones and show the same virtual objects in the same real-world environment. Google says it deletes uploaded data after seven days.

For now, we don’t know the technical detailsółóin how Apple’s solution works or if it supports more than two devices simultaneously. However, an approach that relies solely on phone-to-phone communication may end up facing technical limitations. What happens when, for example. A person whoóIt started – which means it scanned the room – whether it will be possible to keep the session?

Here’s how it might look:

A nice addition to the new ARKit 2.0 is also supposed to be an option „location” virtual object in a specific location, so that the system remembers it, and the object remains there even after the session ends and is resumed.

NFC catches up with the competition

Currently, access to NFC on Apple devices is severely systemically limited and its functionality is far from what competing Android allows. All indications are that Apple will showcase expanded use of NFC in its smartphones and smartwatches at WWDC 2018 – at the moment mainly used for Apple Pay.

Apple wants the iPhone to be more strongly used in proximity situations e.g. as a solution for opening doors in hotels or as a virtual ticket for public transport. Generally, in someóThe iPhone can already be used in some hotels’a as a room key, however, it works with Bluetooth (BLE), whichóry is not as secure as NFC.

What’s more – Apple is already testing these functions, giving its employees the possibility to enter the campus using their phonesów. The virtual communication card, on the other hand, is undergoing tests in Japan and the United KingdomóThe technology can achieve transfers of up to 20 GB/sec’to get on the subway.

WWDC 2018 is coming. You will see the streaming of the event at. 19 here, and you can read our summary from the conference tomorrow.