We tried Amazon's new augmented reality feature and saw how it could change how you shop online
Overall, we were impressed by the AR feature. While any new technology will have bugs to work out, the feature made a convincing case for how AR might have a significant impact on our shopping habits one day.
While we suspect this will be corrected soon, the cropping around some of the items was sloppy.
While you can rotate items side to side, you can't rotate them up and down, which can make it more difficult to evaluate items like decorative pillows.
And, it didn't seem to be a function of how we held the phone.
We noticed a few other flaws as well. The app had difficulty recognizing flat surfaces sometimes.
... it's more difficult to move them vertically, as swiping up or down on the screen changes the object's size.
And while they're easy to move horizontally ...
Electronics are some of the most common items available so far.
You can also move the object to another part of the room without having to exit the interface or reload the object.
... so you can consider the object from multiple angles.
The app also allows for a full, 360-degree range of motion ...
The feature is particularly useful for furniture, as it lets you move a given piece around your space to see where it might fit best.
If you move the camera toward the object, its relative size will adjust accordingly.
You can also change your height and angle, and the object will remain fixed in its place.
From there, you can rotate or move the object across the screen.
After you settle on a location, the app will place a rendering of the object in that spot.
Once you choose an item, the app will prompt you to point your camera toward a flat surface.
The product selection is limited thus far, but most of the options are furniture, home decor, or electronics.
But it's easy to access by tapping the camera icon.
Amazon's app doesn't highlight the feature on the home screen.
Popular Right Now
Advertisement