Augmented reality apps have been the Hot New Thing in mobile recently, even if it's still very early days for apps that blend interactive data with live video streams.

The latest news in this space comes courtesy of a deal between AR firm Total Immersion and French smartphone developer int13.

The companies are working together to launch smartphone AR apps based on Total Immersion's D'Fusion technology. The first apps to launch will be on Symbian and Windows Mobile handsets later this year, with iPhone and Android following shortly after.

The announcement is light on exact details of what these apps will do, or indeed whether they'll be a series of apps performing different functions using AR.

However, it's not the first time Total Immersion has dabbled in mobile. The D'Fusion Mobile page on the company's own website refers to a partnership with Alcatel-Lucent, which judging by this video dates from 2007.

How that relates to the new int13 deal is unclear. However, the latter firm's MD Stéphane Cocquereaumont seems pleased with the partnership.

"Our aim is to develop games and augmented reality applications that make the most of what smartphones have to offer," he says.

"With this distribution partnership, we look to benefit from Total Immersion's premier market position as the company brings out combined technology to a global audience."