Augmented reality apps market could reach $300M in 2013

Taylor Swift is using augmented reality as a key feature in her mobile app, and according to recent research report, she's not alone. A Juniper Research report said augmented reality (AR) applications, which usually involve scanning an image with a smartphone to access multimedia content, will generate close to $300 million next year, with paid downloads accounting for most of the revenues. This is up from $82 million this year. 

"Many retailers now perceive AR as a key means of increasing engagement with consumers, both as a means of providing additional product information or in the form of branded virtual games and activities," the Juniper report said. "More than 2.5 billion AR apps [are] to be downloaded to smartphones and tablets per annum by 2017, with games accounting for the largest share of downloads." By the Numbers