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Amazon’s new AR app lets you have fun with all those Prime Day boxes

Trevor Mogg
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Try a spooktaculAR experience this Halloween

The online shopping frenzy that is Amazon Prime Day is pretty much upon us again, with customers around the world gearing up to splash the cash on all manner of cut-price goodies.

If you’re one of those planning to make the most of Prime Day (or Prime Days — the event takes place on October 13 and 14), then chances are you’re going to have a whole lot of cardboard boxes coming your way.

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With that in mind, Amazon has come up with a new app that lets you squeeze a bit of fun out of those boxes before you drop them in the recycling bin.

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Called Amazon Augmented Reality (can you guess what it’s about yet?), the free iOS and Android app works with QR codes on Amazon boxes for what the company describes as an “interactive, sharable, augmented reality experiences.”

A video (top) shows off some of the entertainment that can be had by firing up the app. While the video focuses on a Halloween theme, screenshots from the app (below) suggest there’s plenty of varied content.

Kids are sure to enjoy the Amazon Augmented Reality experience, indeed, they’ll probably have more fun with the box than its contents.

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To use the feature, simply open the app, point your camera at the QR Code on an Amazon box, and wait for your display to burst into life.

“If your device supports TrueDepth technology, the app will also use your device camera to track your facial movements to enable certain features like our selfie mode,” Amazon says, adding that all of the information processed using the technology “remains on your device and is not otherwise stored, processed, or shared by Amazon.”

Prime members looking for a bargain should check out Digital Trends’ frequently updated buying guides aimed at surfacing some of the best deals available over the next 48 hours.

Discounts can be found on everything from smartphones, laptops, and tablets to headphones, smart-home gear, and gaming stuff. Some bargains are already showing up on Amazon hours before Prime Day’s official start.

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Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
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