Augmented reality involves layering over images of the real physical world with digitally generated graphics that either create a fun gaming environment or enhance our experience of the environment around us. There are many possibilities when it comes to integrating the technology into apps, and we may soon be seeing a lot more of these creations in the App Store now that Qualcomm has released an iOS compatible SDK for developing augmented reality apps.
Qualcomm quiety rolled out the beta release that now allows developers to more easily incorporate augmented reality features into apps developed for both Android and iOS. The SDK was originally limited only to Android with a full commercial release back in April, where it makes more sense since that category utilizes Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors. However, the company promised back in May that it would be releasing an iOS port sometime in July.
There are already augmented reality iOS apps, but Qualcomm claims that this SDK will make it easier for developers to create more of them. This SDK supports iPhone 4, iPad 2, and the fourth generation iPod touch. It also supports Unity, a WYSIWYG rapid game development tool, while also allowing developers to work directly in Xcode if they prefer. The SDK can be downloaded from Qualcomm's developer center.