Google always try to keep up with the technology and try to remain up with its competitors. Apple released ARKit at WWDC which was the company's first-ever attempt at an augmented reality platform.ARKit made the work of developers way more easier as they could weave AR apps with relative ease. Since then there has been an app developed using ARKit. But, Google has thought of replying Apple’s ARKit with its own augmented reality platform ARCore.

Google already had Tango for developing AR application but ARCore is slightly different from that. Tango required users to have specialized hardware like sensors and cameras, ARCore doesn't. ARCore is exactly similar to ARKit and all you need to have is your phone to develop AR applications. Another big advantage to ARCore users is that people are waiting for the release of iOS11 so that ARKit application could be downloaded by the common users but ARCore is available right now. Developers can use ARCore on the Pixel and Samsung's Galaxy S8. All they need to have is the Android device running Android 7.0 Nougat or above. Google hopes for ARCore to run on millions of more Android devices from manufacturers like HTC, Samsung, LG, ASUS and much more.

ARCore also works with Java and OpenGL, Unreal and Unity. ARCore will also deliver three features-

• Motion Tracking : It will use the smartphone’s camera to detect user’s position in the room.

• Environmental Understanding : It can detect horizontal surfaces.

• Light estimation

The lighting and shadow of virtual objects can match the user’s surroundings

Google is already being building 3D tools like Blocks so that developers can create AR content and which will fit nicely with ARCore. Google is also being rumored to be working on other AR tech, like a visual positioning service for world-scale AR experiences and augmented reality compactible web browsers.

Another good news is that world-building engines Unreal and Unity are both on board with support of Google’s new ARCore augmented reality toolkit. With Unity and Unreal support now in place for Google’s ARCore we’re likely to start seeing an increase in cool Android-based AR applications. Users need to have the Unity version 2017.2 beta 9 or later and Android API SDK v.24 in order to get started with Unity. They will have to then download the ARCore SDK for Unity and configure it.

Google might have just unveiled the largest AR platform in the world considering the market share of Android devices compared to iOS or any other OS.