The integration of 3D and mixed reality (MR) technologies into everyday shopping is no longer a futuristic fantasy—it’s becoming a practical, user-friendly experience. With major players like Huawei and JD.com making strategic advancements in augmented reality (AR) and AI-powered shopping tools, immersive commerce is rapidly evolving from concept to mainstream utility.
This shift is being driven by real consumer pain points: inaccurate product sizing, difficulty visualizing home appliances in space, and high online return rates due to mismatched expectations. Now, thanks to innovations in AR engines, depth sensing, and AI-driven personalization, these challenges are being addressed with elegant, intuitive solutions.
Huawei’s AR Engine Upgrades Bring Practicality to Mixed Reality
Huawei’s recent enhancements to its AR Engine during the Huawei Developer Conference 2025 mark a significant leap toward practical mixed reality applications. By introducing features like depth estimation, high-precision geometric reconstruction, object placement, and target shape recognition, Huawei is transforming AR from a novelty into a daily utility.
These upgrades are not just technical improvements—they’re designed around real-world use cases that directly benefit consumers. Three standout applications illustrate this shift:
1. Huolala: AR Vehicle Selection for Moving
One of the most common moving-day frustrations? Choosing a truck that’s too small—or unnecessarily large. Huawei’s depth estimation technology solves this by using smartphone cameras to scan environments and calculate the volume of furniture. This allows users to accurately assess how much space their items occupy, enabling smarter decisions when booking transport services.
By continuously capturing depth data, the system builds a 3D understanding of the environment, empowering apps like Huolala to recommend appropriately sized vehicles based on actual measurements—not guesswork.
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2. JD.com: AR Placement for Built-in Appliances
The trend toward built-in appliances—ovens, dishwashers, refrigerators—has created a new challenge: precise spatial planning. A microwave that sticks out half an inch can ruin an otherwise seamless kitchen design.
Huawei’s high-precision geometric reconstruction feature enables users to scan cabinetry spaces and identify exact dimensions of built-in slots. The AR engine detects cubic shapes within the environment and calculates length, width, height, and volume with high accuracy.
When integrated into platforms like JD.com, this means shoppers can virtually place appliances into their kitchen layout before purchasing—ensuring perfect fit and reducing costly installation errors.
3. Huawei AR Measurement: Smart Volume and Dimension Tools
Beyond appliance placement, Huawei’s AR measurement tools offer a comprehensive suite of spatial calculations: distance between two points, height, angles, surface area, and full-volume estimation. It's akin to Apple’s Measure app but enhanced with smarter environmental awareness and broader functionality.
This turns every smartphone into a portable measuring toolkit—ideal for everything from home renovations to shipping logistics.
The Rise of Glasses-Free 3D Shopping Experiences
While Apple Vision Pro has showcased the potential of immersive shopping through headsets, widespread adoption remains limited by hardware weight, cost, and lack of 3D product content. However, companies are now bypassing headsets entirely by delivering compelling 3D experiences directly on mobile devices.
JD.com has taken a leading role with its "JD Liying" (JD Stand-in) suite of tools:
- Liying - Naked-Eye 3D Ads: Delivers depth-rich product visuals without requiring special glasses.
- Liying - Smart Home Styling: Offers AI-powered 3D room design suggestions based on user preferences.
- Liying - 3D Live Streaming: Enables real-time interaction with 3D product models during live sales events.
These tools span categories including consumer electronics, home appliances, fashion, and groceries—making 3D interaction accessible at scale.
Similarly, platforms like Dewu (Got sneaker) have adopted 360° product views that let users inspect footwear and apparel in fine detail, reducing uncertainty in high-value purchases.
AI Meets XR: The Future of Personalized Commerce
As AI capabilities advance, they’re increasingly merging with extended reality (XR) to create smarter shopping journeys. In May 2025, OpenAI introduced shopping functionality in ChatGPT Search, allowing users to discover fashion, beauty, electronics, and home goods through natural language conversations.
ChatGPT analyzes user queries, displays relevant product images, summarizes reviews, and provides direct purchase links—all within a conversational interface. More importantly, it learns from past interactions to refine future recommendations.
Amazon is testing a similar AI assistant called "Buy for Me," while Google and Perplexity are developing AI agents capable of browsing websites and completing transactions autonomously.
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This convergence of AI and XR isn’t just about convenience—it’s about creating emotionally resonant shopping experiences. Consumers don’t just want information; they want guidance, visualization, and confidence in their choices.
Consumer Readiness: Why 3D Shopping Is Gaining Traction
According to a report by Infinite Reality, 66% of consumers are ready to embrace immersive shopping experiences. Among younger demographics—particularly Gen Z and gamers—that number rises to 72% and 80%, respectively.
Younger shoppers expect seamless digital interactions and are more open to digital wallets, NFTs, and even cryptocurrency payments. They also prefer extended evaluation periods (one day to one week), comparing offerings across multiple retailers before buying.
Immersive shopping meets these expectations by enabling:
- Accurate size and fit previews
- Realistic material and texture visualization
- Virtual try-ons for clothing and accessories
- Reduced return rates due to better pre-purchase clarity
For retailers, this translates into higher conversion rates, increased average order values, and stronger brand recall.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
Despite rapid progress, 3D shopping is still in its early commercial stages. Key hurdles remain:
- Limited availability of 3D product models across e-commerce inventories
- Variability in AR performance across different smartphones
- Need for standardized measurement accuracy
- Consumer education about new interaction models
Yet the trajectory is clear: as AI improves 3D model generation (e.g., converting 2D images into 3D assets), and as more brands adopt spatial commerce strategies, the ecosystem will mature quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Do I need special glasses or hardware for 3D shopping?
A: No. Most current 3D shopping experiences—like those on JD.com or Dewu—work directly on smartphones without additional hardware.
Q: How accurate are AR measurements for furniture or appliances?
A: Modern AR engines like Huawei’s AR Engine offer millimeter-level precision under good lighting conditions, making them reliable for most home planning tasks.
Q: Can I return items if the AR preview doesn’t match reality?
A: Yes. While 3D visualization reduces mismatches, standard return policies still apply. However, early data shows AR users are less likely to return items due to size or fit issues.
Q: Are 3D shopping features available globally?
A: Availability varies by platform and region. JD.com’s Liying tools are primarily in China, while global platforms like Amazon offer limited AR try-on in select markets.
Q: How does AI improve AR shopping experiences?
A: AI enhances AR by generating realistic lighting effects, auto-creating 3D models from photos, personalizing recommendations, and enabling voice-guided navigation through virtual stores.
Q: Is my data safe when using AR scanning features?
A: Reputable platforms process most AR data locally on-device and do not store room scans unless explicitly permitted by the user.
With Huawei pushing the boundaries of practical AR utilities and JD.com democratizing 3D commerce at scale, the future of shopping is unfolding in real time. As AI and XR continue to converge, we’re moving toward a world where every product can be seen, tested, and experienced—before it’s ever shipped.
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