Qualcomm, Samsung, Google Team Up for Stylish, Affordable Mixed Reality Smart Glasses
September 6, 2024Since the project's announcement in early 2023, details have been sparse, but there is speculation that Samsung's offering will be an affordable alternative to Apple's Vision Pro.
If the partnership can deliver high-quality display, optics, and audio, the mixed-reality glasses may garner significant interest, potentially rivaling the reception of Apple's Vision Pro.
Amon emphasized the goal of creating a product that encourages smartphone users to purchase these companion glasses, highlighting their potential integration into daily life.
Amon noted that AI will be integrated across devices, with processing capabilities distributed among the device, cloud, and the glasses themselves, enhancing user experiences.
Samsung is generating excitement around its upcoming mixed reality initiative, which includes this partnership with Google, indicating a new mixed-reality platform announcement is expected this year.
Amon praised the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, which utilize Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip, and underscored the role of generative AI in advancing mixed-reality technology.
Qualcomm showcased a promising reference design at Mobile World Congress, indicating the potential for compact and practical eyewear that could redefine user interaction.
Qualcomm is teaming up with Samsung and Google to create mixed reality smart glasses that will connect seamlessly to smartphones.
Qualcomm's CEO, Cristiano Amon, envisions these smart glasses as unobtrusive companions to smartphones, aiming for widespread adoption among users.
Pricing will be essential for the success of these glasses, although existing smartphone ownership may help ease market introduction challenges.
Current AR and VR headsets face criticism for being bulky and uncomfortable, a problem that the new smart glasses aim to solve by offering a more stylish and convenient option.
This collaboration represents a strategic shift from Apple's recent launch of a larger mixed-reality headset, focusing instead on more accessible smart glasses.
Summary based on 5 sources
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Sources
The Verge • Sep 5, 2024
Qualcomm’s big augmented reality project with Samsung and Google is... glassesTechRadar • Sep 5, 2024
Samsung's promised XR platform might first arrive as a pair of smart glasses