Earlier this week in South Korea, LG affiliate LG Uplus and the startup Eyecandylab launched a new and intuitive shopping application that is allowing TV users to interact with live shopping channels that are fairly popular inside of the country. This can be done with your smartphone and it will launch an augmented reality experience that will make you feel immersed inside of the actual shopping experience.
While watching one of the two channels on their TV, viewers can lift up their compatible iOS or Android device and turn it to the TV. There will be a embedded code within the screen that will launch a different series of augmented reality experiences. This is complete with 3D models, interactive and fun pop-ups, and plenty of other various AR elements. One they are on your screen, you will be able to interact with them with a simple touch. This is done by rating and reshaping the objects, placing them right where you would like to see them inside of your home or TV area.
To buy any of the objects that are floating around you, simply tap on them it will link you to a website or purchase portal where you can buy the represented items.
“As the leading provider of innovative services in 5G, we are thrilled to offer relevant use cases to our consumers,” said Keeman Seoh, Vice President Strategic Alliance & Global Partnership Unit of LG Uplus. “Eyecandylab’s technology is a perfect differentiator and we are looking forward to taking the next step to extend our leadership position.”
“We are thrilled to be working with LG,” added Robin Sho Moser, CEO of Eyecandylab. “Home shopping is a perfect channel to demonstrate the benefits of augmented reality to consumers in everyday life. At the same time it supports companies in their sales.”
An added bonus to this experience is that subscribers to LG Uplus 5G will be receiving a 5% discount off of all products represented inside of augmented reality. This doesn’t seem like a lot on first glance, but if you are using AR as your primary source of shopping for everything but groceries, this is going to add up incredibly quickly and will equal a large amount of savings in your bank accounts.
If you are in South Korea and have a phone that is capable of running ARKit (iPhone) or ARCore (Android) is going to have the ability to download the U+AR shopping app today and start using it next time they tune into the shopping channels inside of the country. Although this may seem like an exclusive as of now, there are much more projects in the work for LG.
LG has been working behind the scenes with several companies to bring this stateside. They are looking to finish all of the contracts before the year of 2021 and could have an app on the market for the TV shopping experience just as quickly. With how fast AR and VR are catching on, especially inside of the United States, you could expect this to take off as well. Shopping from your home is more popular than ever, and doing on your phone is an added plus that should be taken advantage of.
If LG is able to launch this idea in the United States before anyone else, they could see their bottom line be impacted tremendously, in the best way possible. Even if they are only taking a sliver of the sales, it is going to keep them relevant inside of AR and VR, something they haven’t been able to do yet. For more VR news and updates, make sure to check back at VRGear.com.
