Many more Android smartphones can run ar apps thanks to ARCore update

Many more smartphones can run augmented reality apps thanks to an update to Google’s ARCore platform. The OnePlus 6 and 5T and all Android One devices from last year can now run ar apps, among others.

Android Police found a series of device names in the apk file of ARCore 1.3 that can now count on support. These include the Huawei P20 Pro, Honor 10, various Sony Xperia devices, some Xiaomi models and the Nokia 6 and 7 from last year. The Xiaomi Mi A1 and other smartphones from the Android One series from last year also have access to ARCore.

As a result, the number of supported smartphones for ARCore is increasing rapidly. Google previously added support for all Galaxy S devices since the S7, the OnePlus 3T and 5, Nokia 6 (2018) and Huawei P20 phones. Google’s own Pixel phones support ARCore from the start.

ARCore 1.0 was released in February. ARCore is a platform that makes apps work with augmented reality. This makes it possible to add virtual objects to the camera image of a smartphone. It works with current hardware on smartphones, such as motion sensors and cameras; no additional hardware is required. ARCore is a further development of Tango, Google’s platform for ar that did require its own hardware.