Market Reality: Apple Leaves Clue to AR Headset, Magic Leap Digs for Dinosaurs, & Lenovo Lures Marvel to Mirage

As excitement looms for Apple's annual parade of pomp and circumstance for its latest lineup of iPhones, some hidden hints in an internal build of iOS 13 has Apple enthusiasts salivating for what Cupertino is testing in the AR wearables realm.

While Apple has yet to even confirm that it is working on an AR headset, Magic Leap and Lenovo actually have working models on the market. With Magic Leap One, Magic Leap continues to reap the benefits from its Independent Creators Program as one of its grant recipients has launched its proposed app. For the Mirage AR headset, Lenovo looks to diversify the AR gaming options with a new title from the Marvel entertainment juggernaut.

In the web-based AR segment, Puma continues to leverage AR marketing its footwear, this time with an in-store experience fueled by Zappar's platform.

Evidence in iOS 13 Code Points to AR Headset Testing

Apple's annual iPhone launch is set for Sept. 10 and iOS 13 is expected to be released soon thereafter, but it appears that the likelihood of a "one more thing" reveal just got a big boost.

Documentation of the latest internal build of iOS 13 reportedly includes references to what may be an augmented reality headset that could fulfill last year's reports of Apple's next big product category arriving within the next year.

Continue reading to learn more about what Apple appears to have in store for its first AR wearable...

REALITY BITES: ARKit 3 will bring some new augmented reality capabilities for mobile app developers, and early returns from developers show that the new features are practical as well. Developers at Ace and Tate have found the new Reality Composer, along with AR Quick Look introduced in ARKit 2.0, to be particularly helpful in crafting virtual try-on experiences. However, the team has also found file converting to comply with the USDZ format to be a bit cumbersome.

Magic Leap Gains Dinosaur Kit App from Grant Program Recipient Kubold

The growing stock of augmented reality apps filling up the Magic Leap store seems to be picking up pace in recent months.

On Tuesday, the latest addition to the Magic Leap World store came in the form of Dinosaur Kit, an app that offers an immersive education path for those budding paleontologists among us.

Read more to find out more about the Dinosaur Kit app, its developer, and how it makes the case for AR in education...

REALITY BITES: While Magic Leap appears to have an eye toward consumer-focused apps, the company is also pitching solutions for enterprise via Magic Leap One. Magic Leap Health has lined up partnerships with BrainLab, XRHealth, SyncThink, The Dan Marino Foundation, and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford to deploy Magic Leap One's spatial computing capabilities in hospitals and surgery suites.

Lenovo Hitches Its Mirage AR Headset to Marvel's IP

Move over, Star Wars. You're not the only Disney property that can play in the Lenovo Mirage AR headset anymore.

On Thursday, superhero powerhouse Marvel unveiled Dimension of Heroes, a new mobile app for iOS and Android that, when holstered in a Lenovo Mirage AR headset and paired with a set of tracking beacons and handheld controllers, unlocks three augmented reality gaming modes chock full of heroes, villains, and generic henchmen.

Read on for more details on Dimension of Heroes and how Lenovo is repositioning its Mirage AR headset for AR gaming...

REALITY BITES: AT&T has latched onto augmented reality, particularly with Magic Leap, as a key use case behind the need for 5G networks. Now, the person previously in charge of that 5G rollout, Jeff McElfresh, has been promoted to CEO of AT&T Communications. He replaces John Donovan, who has been the face of AT&T's partnership with Magic Leap to this point. However, instead of reporting to Randall Stephenson, CEO and chairman of AT&T, Inc., McElfresh's new boss will be John Stankey, who adds the title of president and chief operating officer to his existing role as CEO of the WarnerMedia business unit.

Zappar Secures Web-Based AR Activation for Puma

When it comes to the athletic footwear retail game, it's just not enough to just sell shoes anymore.

Count Puma as the latest brand to pump up the customer experience in its stores with augmented reality, as the brand recently celebrated the opening of its flagship New York City store and the launch of its new basketball line with a web-based AR activation.

Read further for more details on Puma's in-store AR experience, how it fits into its marketing strategy, and why it's a big win for Zappar's web-based AR platform...

REALITY BITES: While the larger beer conglomerates, like MillerCoors, have adopted augmented reality for advertising, independent craft breweries have been slower on the uptake. Sierra Nevada might be the biggest name from the craft world to take a shot at introducing AR into the customer experience. Product designer Barrett White gives Medium readers a behind-the-scenes look at an augmented reality brewery tour concept that he recently presented to Sierra Nevada's leadership team.

Every Friday, Next Reality reviews the latest headlines from the financial side of augmented and mixed reality. This weekly Market Reality column covers funding announcements, mergers and acquisitions, market analysis, and the like. Check out previous editions of Market Reality for more news you may have missed.