Apple AR: The Box Gives the Gift of AR with ARKit

If giving truly is better than receiving, then The Box AR should be the best ARKit app available when iOS 11 releases next week.

Dad jokes and hyperbole aside, developer 8ninths puts a creative spin on placing holograms on the user's view of the real world.

Every 24 hours, AR content, ranging from digital characters and interactive pets to dioramas and art tools to environmental effects and portals, arrives in a digital box that opens with an animated flourish. Users can store the content for later play and capture the experience in photos and video for sharing with others.

Based on demo videos, the app utilizes ARKit to scan for horizontal surfaces and to track objects as the camera moves. The sample experiences are not unlike the plethora of demos that have been making the rounds on social media since the ARKit announcement.

However, the Seattle-based developer sees The Box AR and its "short form AR" format as a tool for marketers, who can bestow customers and prospects with digital trinkets every day.

"We think that brands will be excited to be able to connect with their audience through this novel format in a way they've never been able to before. These brief escapes from the real world are almost like a daydream, changing your mood and environment for a short time -- without having to wear a headset," said Adam Sheppard, 8ninths CEO, in a statement.