The annual number of mobile downloads featuring Augmented Reality (AR) content is expected to rise from less than 1 million in 2009 to more than 400 million by 2014, according to a new report from Juniper Research.
The report, Mobile Augmented Reality Forecasts, Applications & Opportunity Appraisal 2009-2014, notes that the proliferation of app stores among both network operators and Operating System vendors, allied to a steady rollout of AR-enabling technology on Smartphones, will lead to a greater number of AR apps being made readily available to end-users, and to subsequent rapid increases, both in the levels of adoption and service usage.
In addition, the report concludes that location-based search apps will account for the majority of all AR downloads annually over the next five years, although by 2014, games the second most successful category in terms of downloads – will have achieved nearly 30% of all downloads per annum. The report also notes that while AR enterprise apps are unlikely to launch before 2012 due to technological constraints, and will subsequently account for a small minority of downloads, they will, however, be able to command a very high subscription price. According to the report, total annual revenues from AR-enabled apps will reach $732 million (458 million) in 2014, up from less than $2 million in 2010.
Theres more information about the report here.