Thrive Analytics and ARtillery Intelligence have released a new report: AR Usage & Consumer Attitudes, Wave 8. ARtillery Intelligence authored survey questions and a narrative report while Thrive Analytics administered the survey through its established survey engine.

Highlights include the fact that 35 percent of U.S. adult consumers have used mobile AR — up from 32 percent in the previous survey wave. Consumers are also using AR with high frequency, with 46 percent of mobile AR users engaging at least weekly, and 80 percent engaging at least monthly. This is a strong demand signal, given that active use is a key metric for any consumer technology.

Top mobile AR experience categories include social lenses, due to Snap’s AR investment and innovation, as well as emerging platforms like TikTok Effect House. Meanwhile, other categories such as AR shopping and visual search (e.g., Google Lens), continue to gain traction.

“Gaming and social are typically where new consumer technologies germinate,” said ARtillery Intelligence Chief Analyst, Mike Boland. “But history tells us that lasting value develops around utilities that solve everyday problems. This includes AR’s ability to add more dimension to shopping and to contextualize real-world surroundings through informational overlays, or even audio.”

Lastly, though this report focused on mobile AR, 15 percent of those users report that they’ve made the leap to AR glasses, such as Xreal Air 2 and others in the latest generation of smart glasses. This is a small but meaningful share that represents the early stages of AR’s evolution from hand-held to head-worn.

These results flow from Thrive Analytics’ acumen and time-tested practices in survey research. This wave (Wave 8) included a sample of more than 52,000 U.S. adults. Thrive Analytics and ARtillery will continue to analyze AR & VR market opportunities through the lens of consumer sentiments, including key trends uncovered after several waves.

“AR and VR remain in early-adoption phases,” said Thrive Analytics Managing Partner Jason Peaslee. “But though there are typical challenges and adoption barriers, these technologies will gradually transform the way people work, connect, and learn. We’re committed to quantifying that evolutionary path over the next several years.”

AR Usage & Consumer Attitudes, Wave 8 is available from ARtillery Intelligence and Thrive Analytics. Access to the source database and additional strategic analysis can be obtained from Thrive Analytics.

ARtillery Intelligence chronicles the evolution of spatial computing, otherwise known as AR and VR. Through writings and multimedia, it provides deep and analytical views into the industry’s biggest players, opportunities, and strategies. Products include the AR Insider publication and the ARtillery PRO research subscription. Research includes monthly narrative reports, market-sizing forecasts, consumer survey data, and multimedia, all housed in a robust intelligence vault. Find out more here.

Thrive Analytics is a leading digital marketing research and customer engagement consulting firm. With clients spanning leading national brands, publishers, and agencies serving the small business community, it pairs proprietary market research services and data analytical tools with time-tested business insights and methodologies to help organizations measurably improve customer experience, loyalty, and sales results. Its mission is to provide superior research and support services that inspire clients to make smarter decisions. Find out more here.

Virtual Reality Monitor is Thrive Analytics’ proprietary survey of virtual reality/augmented reality technology users. These surveys, conducted semiannually, track the adoption rates, usage, satisfaction levels, profiles, and many other areas related to VR/AR users. Each wave has a customizable section for client-specific inquiries. Results & key insights are communicated in advisory reports & presentations, charts & infographics, newsletters & articles, and custom data views. Information from these studies is used by marketers, product managers, consultants, and other people working in the technology space.

How Many Consumers Have Tried AR? was originally published in AR/VR Journey: Augmented & Virtual Reality Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.