Google‘s augmented reality (AR) stickers are set to arrive on the LG G7 ThinQ as part of a software update that will be rolled out to the smartphone in the near future. The AR stickers will reportedly be incorporated into the device’s range of camera modes so that users will be able to access the feature directly through the phone’s native camera app.
The AR stickers were first launched on the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL devices late last year. As the name suggests, the stickers are based on augmented reality technology and will allow users to layer the stickers on top of their images. Keep in mind, though, that these stickers are not meant to be applied to images after they are captured like the typical filters out there. Instead, AR stickers are a native part of the camera UI which will be painted on a scene as it is being taken so users can be more creative in composing the image and move the subjects around to achieve the best placement of the AR stickers. Google previously said it was planning to partner with certain companies and franchises to push out a variety of special AR stickers, including those that are based on Star Wars The Last Jedi and Stranger Things, with more themes set to be added to the list of choices once the search giant secures partnerships with other franchises. In addition to the branded AR stickers, users also have a choice of regular stickers designed by Google itself, including dancing donuts and sad-looking coffee cups.
Google’s AR stickers use the ARCore system, which serves as the platform for developing AR experiences on a broad range of mobile devices. The platform was announced last August and the Mountain View, California-based internet giant previously said it wanted ARCore to be available on 100 million devices this year. It was reported last February that Google was reportedly prioritizing mobile devices from some of its largest original equipment manufacturer partners for ARCore’s future launches, including Samsung, LG, and HTC. Google later confirmed that it was indeed planning to bring ARCore to third-party Android devices in the future after the AR development platform exited its experimental phase following two developer previews.