Apple is also rumored to be developing a mixed reality headset, similar to Facebook’s latest offering. However, there is no official launch date for Apple’s product. When it finally arrives, it will not only face competition from Facebook’s headset, but also from its smartphone rival, Samsung.
In addition to launching its new Galaxy S23 smartphone series, Samsung also revealed a new series of PCs. At the end of its conference, the company announced its ambitions in the realm of virtual and augmented reality with the help of Google and Qualcomm.
Samsung’s AR/VR Ambition
Samsung Mobile Division CEO TM Roh invited Cristiano Amon, CEO of Qualcomm, and Hiroshi Lockheimer, Senior Vice President of Ecosystems at Google, to the stage. Samsung will be relying on these partners to develop its future AR/VR products. Qualcomm, in addition to producing chips for smartphones, also offers components for AR/VR products.
Google also has expertise in the field, as one of the pioneers of augmented reality with Google Glass. On the software side, the Mountain View company has already deployed ARCore on 1 billion Android smartphones, providing a mobile augmented reality experience. It also offers several AR apps, including Google Lens. There are also rumors that Google is working on an AR operating system.
Samsung is no stranger to AR/VR, having previously released VR headsets for its Galaxy smartphones in partnership with Facebook. However, the product was eventually abandoned. Unfortunately, Samsung only announced that it was working on mixed reality (augmented and virtual reality) and presented its partners, without giving any details. There is no official launch date for its first product.
A Natural Alliance
It is easy to see how Samsung could use Qualcomm chips and Google software to offer an AR platform that could rival those of Facebook and Apple. For a smartphone manufacturer, being present in this field is of paramount importance.
In fact, some predictions state that in a few years, AR glasses could replace smartphones. This is why, for example, Mark Zuckerberg’s company is investing heavily in AR technology and the “metaverse.”
“Although I expect phones to remain our primary devices for most of this decade, at some point in the 2020s, we will have revolutionary AR glasses that will redefine our relationship with technology,” Zuckerberg predicted in early 2020.
