A few decades ago all we could do from our mobile phone was make a call. Later, the mobile phones evolved and started coming with simple Java games, calculator, text messaging and calendar. And now we have come to the era of smartphone apps that have dramatically affected the way we interact with our smartphones today. Soon, the mobile apps we know as of now would evolve further, changing the way we think, work and live our life.
It’s not weird anymore to think of a future where your smartphone will be advising you to adjust the temperature of your room or take a different route to reach your office in case of traffic. All this would be possible because of smarter integration with latest technologies like artificial intelligence, augmented reality, IoT and more.
Let’s take you through some apps that are already spearheading towards this delightful change.
#1. Prisma
Source: Instagram
With over 400 million photos being ‘prismed’ in a very short span of time, Prisma is not just another photo editing app. The app with the revolutionary art filters uses a mix of machine learning and artificial intelligence to apply a range of filter effects that mimic the signature art styles of artists like Picasso, Van Gogh and more. So, the final image is really close to the painting style used by some of the most popular artists.
Alexey Moiseenkov, the CEO and co-founder of Prisma, told TechCrunch that Prisma utilises three different neural networks, each performing a different task on the server. The neural networks analyse the image, extract an art style from a famous artwork and apply it to the image, thus creating a new one.
#2. Ink Hunter
When it comes to getting inked, there are a lot of factors that need to be taken care of like the placement of the tattoo, the design and its size. And the last thing anyone would want is to regret and take the unnecessary extra steps to get it removed or covered up. This is where Ink-Hunter, an interesting smartphone application, based on augmented reality (AR) comes into play, helping users see how a tattoo design will look in real time on any part of their body.
To begin with, you need to place three ink marks on the part where you want to get your tattoo done. The app then uses your phone’s camera to position and overlay the tattoo chosen by you giving you a fair idea of how it would look in real life. Currently, the app supports tattoos in black and white colour and also lets the user upload and try out their own designs.
Available on: iOS
#3. Pokemon Go
In a very short span of time Pokemon Go managed to capture an incredible amount of attention. With more than 20 million daily active users, app retention wasn’t an issue for this game. A tight integration of augmented reality with the GPS and camera functions of various smart devices, made it possible for users to play the game anywhere at any time. Pokemon Go has been praised by many for bringing AR to the forefront and also changing the future of mobile gaming.
There have been some augmented reality based games before Pokemon Go like Clandestine Anomaly, Ingress, Real Strike and more. But, unlike others the app takes full-fledged advantage of technologies inbuilt in a smartphone like GPS, mapping and satellite services, combining them with location services, landmarks and Nintendo’s favourite characters. The result – a seamless blend of virtual and real world that’s very addictive.
#4. ELSA
For a foreigner speaking in English like a native American or a native British is quite a daunting task. Even if you master the language, it’s important to learn the pronunciation, which if not correct may result in embarrassing situations. English Language Speech Assistant or ELSA is a mobile app that aims to save foreigners from such embarrassing moments.
A brainchild of Vu Van, the CEO of ELSA, the app is an artificial intelligence based smartphone application that functions as a personal pronunciation coach helping users pronounce correctly. The app works by analyzing a user’s speech and if it detects a mispronunciation, it tells the user not only how the word should sound, but also guides them on the movement of tongues and lips to form the correct word.
#5. Allo
Google Allo is the new instant messaging app that went live recently. The market is already dominated by other messaging apps like What’s app, Line, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Viber and more. But, what makes Allo unique is its integration with Google Assistant, a conversational bot based on artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Using the underlying technologies, the smart app can predict responses, set reminders, search the web for you, get latest info on everything and do much more, while also learning about you in the process. For example, when somebody sends you a picture of a baby or a cat, Allo tries to recognise the content of the image and suggests you “awww” or “so cute!” as a reply and all you need to do is tap on any one of the responses. With time the app gets better at suggesting you responses as it understands more and more about you through various interactions.
#6. Google Translate
Beyond being a hands-on app that translates more than 100 languages in a jiffy, the app can also provide text translation in real time. This is where augmented reality comes into play. When a user holds his/her smartphone’s camera over the text, it shows them the word in English. Even though it doesn’t support all the languages yet, the app would be super useful in times of need.
#7. Socratic
Based on artificial intelligence, Socratic is a mobile app that makes it easy for students to complete their homework. All that a student needs to do is take a snap of the ‘problem’ that needs to be solved and give it a few seconds to analyze it. After analyzing the problem it offers suggestions and the steps needed to get to the solution and also videos, definitions and web results. The well-designed app currently supports subjects like Math, Science, History, English, Economics and more. And from the App Store ratings it’s clearly a favorite with the students.
Available on: iOS
#8. Blippar
A kind of visual browser, Blippar is a smartphone app that lets you photograph everyday objects and instantly gathers information like price, nutrition information, coupons, recipe books, where you can buy the product and more.
The technology used behind this innovative mobile app is nothing but augmented reality and image recognition. Using “markerless image recognition” it recognizes products, images and graphics and serves relevant information directly on your phone. For example, when you point the app towards your dog, it will give you details like its history, genealogy, how to take care of it, veterinary services around you etc.
The app is already a favorite with tech-forward brands like P&G, Coca Cola, Nike, Disney, Sony and more, entering the world of augmented reality advertising.
A promising future ahead
As the technologies (AI, AR, IoT, VR and others) improve further, their integration with the mobile apps would become seamless and unnoticeable, working constantly in the background. The change has already begun.
