With the debut of iOS 11 and ARKit last year, Apple put the world on notice that the company has big plans for AR-infused apps. Building the technology into its operating system was what Cook called the "first step" in making AR a mainstream experience. Apple also designed the iPhone 8 and X models with AR in mind, and debuted several cutting edge AR applications with the release of its most recent iPhones. The release of ARKit was a game-changer according to Shopify, because it created more realistic AR where the virtual objects that were created were "almost indistinguishable from the reality they're dropped in," according to Braveen Kumar, a content creator for Shopify. Tim Cook has made no secret about his enthusiasm for AR. In an interview last year when asked about the nascent technology, he said, "I think it is profound. I am so excited about it, I just want to yell out and scream... It's time to put the seat belt on and go. When people begin to see what's possible, it's going to get them very excited -- like we are, like we've been." Augmented reality is just getting started, but with the potential market for the technology it could be huge, exceeding $50 billion by 2024, according to estimates by Global Market Insights. This would represent a compound annual growth rate of 75% between 2017 and 2024.
Ecommerce platform Shopify will use Apple's augmented reality (AR) ARKit technology to help it become "the largest AR-enabled e-commerce platform", according to CEO Tobias Lutke. The partnership follows Shopify's use of AR in previous ad campaigns, which caught the eye of Apple CEO Tim Cook. He said he admired Shopify for its focus on "democratising technology for entrepreneurs". Apple plans to make AR a mainstream feature. In an interview with CNBC, Lutz said: "We are very excited about this partnership.