Augmented reality is one of the most exciting technologies around. If you have watched some of those modern Hollywood movies, you have probably seen how our world would look like 20-30 years from now. Who knows when augmented applications become mainstream but they are already making their way to the iPhone platform. Augmented reality is the future but thanks to these augmented reality apps for iPhone, you can experience the future today:

New York Nearest Places: lets you explore New York like never before. And you have seen nothing yet. You can get the Chicago version if that’s where you live.

SpyGlass: turns your iPhone into a spyglass. Shows you a compass, GPS info, and much more on the go. Very useful for outdoors.

Theodolite: a cool little app that acts as your compass, GPS, map, and two-axis inclinometer. Great for hiking and active sports in general.

Panoramascope: this cool app gives you information about your surroundings (mountains, their names, and …). Great for those who are into outdoors, camping, and beyond.

AR Compass: great app for travel, camping, and outdoor activities. Now this is what one could call a truly modern compass.

Robotvision: an augmented reality application for iPhone that lets you explore your surroundings more effectively.

Cyclopedia: adds Wikipedia information to your reality. When you move your iPhone around, the app will automatically dig up information and display it on your screen.

Layar Reality Browser: a free application that displays digital information on the top of what you see through your camera. The app has a lot of potential, and a lot of you wrote to me to include it in this list. I still believe it has some issues that need to be resolved but it’s free. So try it!

Peaks: great application for those into climbing mountains. Or maybe you are just interested in geography. Shows you information on mountains right on your phone. Top notch app.

Pocket Universe: a great astronomy app for iPhone that lets you discover stars and planets in the sky without even needing a book. Just point your iPhone to the sky, and you are all set.

Wikitude: another cool augmented iPhone application that helps you explore your surroundings effectively on your phone. POIs are displayed on your screen, and you can find what you are looking for on your phone like never before. It’s free too.

buUuk: great free augmented reality app if you are planning to go to Australia, New Zealand, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand,  or maybe Dubai, buUuk is the app you need. Uses your GPS to find locations all around you.

London Tube: if you happen to live in London and are looking for an app to help you get around your city more effectively, London Tube comes in handy.

Heads Up Navigator: GPS meets augmented reality. This app uses your camera and augmented reality technology to show you what’s all around you.

SunSeeker: SunSeeker is one cool iPhone app that shows you everything you need about the sun, its path in the sky, and other interesting information about the sun.

Dishpointer: it shows you how the satellites are lined up in the sky. No matter what’s in your way, this app will reveal all.

FirePower: a very interested augmented reality game for iPhone that lets you shoot at cars on your phone. Great for stress relief.

So what’s your favorite augmented reality app for iPhone?