Google ARCore has really taken off recently. The augmented reality platform has been getting the support of many new devices. Unlike its predecessor, Tango, it doesn't require any dedicated hardware in order to work. Everything is made on the software end, which helped ARCore find the popularity and compatibility across a variety of devices. Today, we have something new. Google decided to not only announce the new devices support, but also the newer version of ARCore.
All of us know that augmented reality camera applications aren't very battery friendly. Google has been working on fixing that issue for a really long time. We have previously found the clues about ARCore 1.5, which suggested the compatibility of devices like OnePlus 6T, Huawei Mate 20, and more. The LG Q6, LG Q8, Asus ROG Phone, and Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 are all now officially supported devices, but let's talk about the new features.
glTF loading in runtime
If you've ever developed an ARCore-based application, then you know that loading glTF models was previously impossible. You had to convert them to SFB format to use them correctly. From now on, you'll be able to use the API in Sceneform that will let you load glTF models from either the cloud or the local storage.
Sceneform is now open source
Sceneform has helped developers use the built-in models and elements in their apps and save a bunch of time. Unfortunately, it hasn't been possible to alter or modify the elements to our liking, so Sceneform didn't make much sense at times. From now on, Sceneform is open source and it lives on the GitHub. You can freely modify any element you'd like and use it in your application.
Adding point cloud IDs to ARCore
Apparently, some developers have requested to be able to associate points between frames when it comes to point clouds. That gives them an ability to make the more solid structure. New point IDs are unique, and they are lost when they get out of view.
Currently, ARCore is officially supported on these devices:
ARCore Supported Devices as of September 28th, 2018
|
Device |
Notes |
|---|---|
|
Asus ROG Phone |
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Asus Zenfone AR |
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Asus Zenfone ARES |
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|
Google Nexus 5X |
Requires Android 8.0 or later |
|
Google Nexus 6P |
Requires Android 8.0 or later |
|
Google Pixel XL |
|
|
Google Pixel 2 |
|
|
Google Pixel 2 XL |
|
|
Nokia 6 (2018) |
Also known as Nokia 6.1 |
|
Nokia 6.1 Plus |
|
|
Requires Android 8.0 or later |
|
|
Huawei Nova 3i |
|
|
Huawei P20 |
|
|
Huawei Porsche Design Mate RS |
|
|
Huawei Mate 20 Lite |
|
|
Requires Android 8.0 or later |
|
|
LG Q6 |
|
|
LG Q8 |
|
|
Requires Android 8.0 or later |
|
|
LG V30+ |
Requires Android 8.0 or later |
|
LG V30+ JoJo |
Requires Android 8.0 or later |
|
Moto X4 |
Requires Android 8.0 or later |
|
Moto Z3 |
|
|
Requires Android 8.0 or later |
|
|
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) |
|
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Samsung Galaxy A6 (2018) |
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Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) |
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Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) |
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Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018) |
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Samsung Galaxy Note 8 |
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Samsung Galaxy Note 9 |
|
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Samsung Galaxy S7 |
|
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Samsung Galaxy S7 edge |
|
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Samsung Galaxy S8 |
|
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Samsung Galaxy S8+ |
|
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Samsung Galaxy S9 |
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Samsung Galaxy S9+ |
|
|
Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 |
|
|
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 |
|
|
Sony Xperia XZ Premium |
Requires Android 8.0 or later |
|
Sony Xperia XZ1 |
Requires Android 8.0 or later |
|
Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact |
Requires Android 8.0 or later |
|
Sony Xperia XZ2 |
Requires Android 8.0 or later with software update after Aug 2018 (security patch level 2018-08-05 or later) |
|
Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact |
Requires Android 8.0 or later with software update after Aug 2018 (security patch level 2018-08-05 or later) |
|
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium |
Requires Android 8.0 or later with software update after Aug 2018 (security patch level 2018-08-05 or later) |
|
Vivo NEX A |
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Vivo NEX S |
|
|
Xiaomi Mi 8 SE |
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You can download or update the ARCore application from the link below. If you use one of the newly added devices or want to update to the 1.5 version of the application, you may have to wait a couple of days, as an update isn't widely available just yet. Also, make sure to download Just a Line to test the abilities of augmented reality.