Over 2.5bn augmented reality (AR) smartphone and tablet apps are expected to be downloaded each year by 2017, according to a report released by Juniper Research. The white paper emphasises the importance of increasing consumer awareness, however, to maximise the target area for advertisers.

"Familiarising the average consumer with the concept of AR and what it can do for them can only come from its use in everyday situations," says Charlotte Miller, author of the 'Augmenting Reality – Enhancing Mobile' white paper.

"Adding AR to a magazine and encouraging readers to download and try it is a great way of educating consumers about what AR can offer them, but we won't see an explosion in user numbers until major retail brands embrace and adopt AR in their own apps."

Juniper Research notes that the predicted download rate for AR apps is 3.5 times that achieved by the game 'Angry Birds' in 2011.