Analytics company Sensor Tower welcomed a move by Apple to enable users viewing products in AR to make direct purchases, arguing such options will be another step in bringing practical applications of the technology to consumers.

The update in Apple’s Quick Look tool, reported by TechCrunch, provides developers with the option to add a customisable button which lets customers make purchases through Apple Pay and complete other actions, such as starting a conversation with customer support.

Previously only specific iOS apps could use Quick Look to display products using 3D or AR.

Craig Chapple, mobile insights strategist for EMEA at Sensor Tower, told Mobile World Live the move would likely catch the eye of large retailers seeking new sales avenues.

He noted while there was still interest in AR apps, there was also a lot of room for growth in the broader market.

“Apple’s latest move is another step in the right direction, but it could still be a long road before AR goes truly mass-market in retail and other sectors”.

This is not the first move by Apple into the world of AR. In November 2016 Bloomberg stated the company was considering options to develop digital glasses using AR technology.

Other technology companies are also looking to take a portion of the AR landscape, with Facebook reportedly developing AR glasses in partnership with Luzottica, which manufactures Ray-Ban products.

Snap also employed the technology in its third-generation wearables Spectacles 3, launched in August 2019.