Qualcomm Releases Augmented Reality SDK for iOS - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Qualcomm Releases Augmented Reality SDK for iOS

lab
TechCrunch noted that Qualcomm had recently released their Augmented Reality Software Development Kit (SDK) for iOS. The SDK had originally been available for Android but Qualcomm had promised its release in July for iOS. The SDK should make it easier for developers to integrate virtual content with real content such as images captured by cameras found on many portable devices.

Augmented reality applications are nothing new for iOS, with Apple having introduced support for the technology in iPhone OS 3.1 nearly two years ago and a number of applications such as Layar Reality Browser and Word Lens having embraced it, but Qualcomm's tools will make for easier cross-platform adoption that could increase developer interest.


Qualcomm had held an Augmented Reality Application Developer Challenge last year to promote the use of their SDK. The video above shows the winners from that contest. The first version of the iOS SDK is said to support iPhone 4, iPad 2, and 4th Generation iPod Touch.

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Wednesday July 29, 2026 11:39 am PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system that is essentially a mix of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report this week, he said the operating system will feature a grid of icons, widgets, and apps, along with customizable clock faces. The new software platform is intended for Apple's long-rumored smart home hub. With built-in facial recognition,...
imac video apple feature

Apple Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever This Year

Wednesday July 29, 2026 12:03 pm PDT by
Apple this year acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014. This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019. Q.ai...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

iPhone 18 Pro: Twelve Changes Coming to Apple's Next Flagship

Thursday July 30, 2026 3:43 am PDT by
We're less than two months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a dramatic change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year,...

Top Rated Comments

cyks Avatar
196 months ago
I hate to say it, but there could be a huge market in porn using this technology...
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
196 months ago
And in 30 years, I'll be able to wear my augmented glasses, look at a person, and get all of their information. It's begun people, it's begun!!

We call those beer goggles now.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GSPice Avatar
196 months ago
It's cool, but why do we need the mat? I mean, couldn't these apps conceivably be done only using the SDK now provided, using only the phone as hardware? What does the map provide to the game that can't be done without it?

Point of reference.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
196 months ago
Wow, the 1st place winners looked pretty crazy
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
196 months ago
I kind of understand what you're saying. I kind of don't. Could someone please explain this?

The matt provides an image to track that the app has exact knowledge of. A surface Of a particular size and shape it can map the game to. That's the augmented part. Without the matt, what would it lock onto to put the image? Your desk? Perhaps, but it wouldn't know what is desk, what is paper, and what is a book. Yes, it could just use the gyro and accelerometer and map it to thin air, but the objects would just be floating there, a set distance away.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coder12 Avatar
196 months ago
And in 30 years, I'll be able to wear my augmented glasses, look at a person, and get all of their information. It's begun people, it's begun!!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors