For architecture, I find that AR viewing at 1:1 scale in a flat parking lot has advantages over VR. It took me a while to find out that the VR viewer just needs files saved as Sketchup 2018. AR viewing is useful especially at 1:1 because you can walk around a house and get a better feel for the floorplan and room sizes.
I’ve been wanting to upgrade the AR experience from my phone to a tablet, at least 10" diagonal. I would have thought an Android tablet would be the cheapest option but the Android tablets that support ARCore (I didn’t even know that was a thing) are mostly very expensive (the information on ARCore from Google is not terribly helpful in terms of shopping, unless you’re planning to get one of the more expensive Samsung tablets).
Surprisingly a 5th gen iPad (9.7 inch) which is only around $260 USD on Amazon seems to be the cheapest option I’ve found. Does anyone have any other suggestions? I’m happy with the iPad option but would prefer to find an Android tablet in the same price range that supports ARCore.
I’ve been using a 6th Gen iPad for a while now and added a 1st Gen Apple Pencil and like it a lot. I’ve used Wacom tablets for almost 30 years now, and I like the feel of the Apple pencil better. It’s performed pretty well considering it’s not an iPad Pro. I’ve played a little with AR, but I’d like to do more.
Don’t overlook the other things you can do with it as well. I like Procreate for painting/drawing, and others swear by other apps like Concetps. My first task with a tablet was simply showing a portfolio of photographs; I explain that in a graphic profession, the iPad is my elevator speech.
Definitely agree, there are a lot of good creative apps on iOS - I’ve used both iOS and Android devices for years. Basically what I figure out for a bottom-line ARCore-capable Android tablet I was going to spend at least $450 if I got it refurbished, and we had gotten this 5th-gen iPad for my son (because there are more educational apps for iPad) and I just thought I’d try the AR viewer.