Google has been dabbling in VR for quite some time. The company's first VR product came in the form of Cardboard, a make-it-yourself VR device that is made from actual cardboard, and now iOS users will be able to get in on the action.
Google has brought its Cardboard Camera app to the Apple iOS platform, which should allow iPhone and iPad owners to take beautiful VR photos and share them with friends and family.
If Google has its way, we could see the rise of 3D 360-degree selfies, and it could ultimately become a problem for the likes of Snapchat.
This is a smart move by Google. Instead of requiring the use of expensive camera technology, the Cardboard Camera app simply taps into the camera of the iPhone and iPad to take convincing virtual reality photos.
We understand that taking a 3D 360-degree photo is very much similar to taking a panoramic image on the iPhone, with the main difference being that you'll have to spin all the way around.
After taking an image with the Cardboard Camera app, it can then be uploaded where it can be viewed by others. The uploaded images are stored on Google's servers and can be viewed via the Cardboard Camera app. Furthermore, a link can then be generated to share with friends and family on social media.
"From rock concerts to real estate to mountaintop vistas, more than 5 million moments have been captured with Cardboard Camera on Android," says Google. "Share your VR photos with the #CardboardCamera hashtag — we can't wait to see the world through your lens."
The app can also capture all those special moments by recording sound while taking an image. When it comes down to looking around on the image, the user is required to use their fingers or hook up the iPhone to Google Cardboard and do it from a more natural point of view.
Bear in mind that this is not true 3D, but it should be good enough for what it brings to the table. In fact, no one should expect it to deliver on true 3D in the first place.
With the Google Camera app, the company could be on to something here. We could see the rise of a new type of selfie, and it will be something Snapchat would have to jump on as quickly as possible to stay in the zone.
Virtual reality has to go mainstream somehow, and this could be the breaking point.
Google first released the Cardboard Camera app for Android.
