There’s An AR Easter Egg Hidden On The Box Of Your Google Pixel 4

Google Lens brings your Pixel 4 retail box to life.

To celebrate the launch of its latest Pixel phone and reaffirm its commitment to AR, Google has hidden a secret AR advertisement on the retail box of the Pixel 4 that, when scanned using Google Lens, unlocks a unique 2D animation complete with a message welcoming you to #teampixel. The AR overlay then presents you with a collection of images captured using Pixel devices as well as a call-to-action instructing you to follow Pixel on Instagram. You can then scroll through a variety of user-captured images featured on Instagram by clicking on a Lens card.

While not the most exciting use of the technology to-date, the fact that Google took the time to implement such an unexpected detail into their packaging is an encouraging sign of the companies commitment to AR. Whether it be Google’s Playmoji AR stickers or its continued support of AR functionality for Search and Lens, it’s clear that the company sees a bright future in AR technology.

However, with the rise of AR glasses on the horizon, it will be interesting to see just how Google plans to compete with the likes of Facebook and Apple.

Earlier this month, Google announced that it was discontinuing the production of its Google Daydream View mobile VR headset. In addition, the company revealed that like the Pixel 3A, the latest addition to their Pixel lineup, Pixel 4, will not include support for the Daydream platform, essentially killing the platform and by extension the entirety of the companies VR operations.

Augmented reality technology, on the other hand, appears to be on the rise as the company continues to inject new and existing applications with AR functionality. Back in May, Google unveiled several new improvements to Google Lens and Google Search, including animated AR models and numerous AR-based tools, such as an automatic tip calculator and a food recommendation feature. In August, it began rolling out AR navigation for the Google Maps app, allowing users to follow 3D instructions layered over the real world.

Feature Image Credit: Tim Schofield

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