iOS 11.3: 8 Reasons to Get Excited & 3 Reasons Not To

ARKit 1.5

Apple's iOS 11.3 update comes with ARKit 1.5, an update to the company's Augmented Reality solution. This might sound like developer mumbo jumbo, but it'll bring some exciting changes to average iPhone users as well.

According to Apple, ARKit 1.5 can “recognize and place virtual objects on vertical surfaces like walls and doors, and can more accurately map irregularly shaped surfaces like circular tables.” The current version can only recognize horizontal surfaces.

So where does this come into play for regular users? ARKit apps from companies like IKEA.

In the current IKEA app, you can use Augmented Reality to look at how a piece of furniture might look on your floor at home. However, you can't mount items to your walls within the app. This should change with the introduction of ARKit 1.5.

ARKit 1.5 will also be able to recognize flat pictures (posters, artwork) and bring up additional AR content.