A very low-key update to the ARCore developer's site has expanded the universe of officially-supported devices for Google's augmented reality toolkit to include the Samsung Galaxy S7, S8+, and Note 8 handsets.
The expansion itself isn't a surprise with regard to the S8+ and Note 8, as Samsung and Google announced in Oct. 2017 that the devices would gain support for ARCore "soon."
Screenshot from the ARCore Developer Page
What is surprising is the stealthy way in which the move was made. A trip in the Wayback Machine reveals that the devices were actually added as early as Feb. 5, so the update has flown under the radar for a fortnight or more. One would expect someone in the Samsung or Google camp to have trumpeted this news by now.
The move gives credence to recent reports that Google is planning to officially release ARCore (which is currently available in developer preview) during the upcoming Mobile World Congress conference, possibly alongside the reveal of the Galaxy S9 handsets.
Google and its Android allies face an uphill battle in playing catch-up with Apple, as the Cupertino giant has a sizable lead in terms of mobile AR market share with its ARKit platform and available devices in the field that support it. Adding most of Samsung's flagship devices from its two previous product cycles serves as a nitrous boost in Google's pursuit of Apple.
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Cover image via Google
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