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Samsung, Google & Qualcomm team up on mixed-reality platform

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The newest tech behemoth to embrace augmented and virtual reality is Samsung. The smartphone manufacturer claims that it will collaborate with Qualcomm and Google on a future mixed-reality platform.

The information was released on Wednesday during Samsung’s Unpacked event and comes after rumors that Apple may launch the first ever-virtual reality headset this year. Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP of Android at Google, and Cristiano Amon, CEO of Qualcomm, both took the stage to jointly announce the partnership.

mixed-reality platform
Image Source: techweekmag.com

No specific products were mentioned by Samsung as being under development. Additionally, it didn’t offer a release date for any planned mixed-reality services or products.

Technology that combines the traits of augmented and virtual reality is referred to as mixed reality. Similar to Google Glass, augmented reality combines software and the physical world by superimposing graphics on the user’s surroundings.

Also Read: The iPhone may get a microLED display. What does that mean?

In contrast, virtual reality technologies like the Meta Quest 2 immerse the user in a 360-degree virtual environment. Passthrough cameras, a method that enables AR and virtual reality technologies to merge into one product line, are helping a new generation of VR headsets advance mixed reality, nevertheless.

This is possible with the Quest 2 and Quest Pro headsets from Meta and the future Vive XR Elite. The identical idea should be used in Apple’s anticipated headset.

The development arrives at a time when virtual, augmented, and mixed-reality platform are receiving more attention. According to Bloomberg, Apple is planning to unveil a mixed-reality headgear in 2023 that might cost $3,000 or more.

Google unveiled a new pair of AR glasses at Google I/O last year with a focus on language translation, and Sony’s PlayStation VR 2 and HTC’s Vive XR Elite are both set to debut this month. Before the year is out, Meta’s Quest 3 will be released.

With the exception of the Gear VR device, which it released in multiple incarnations between 2015 and 2017, Samsung has been very quiet regarding virtual reality.

Given that Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm already collaborate to develop smartphones, the alliance makes logical. Samsung creates the physical components of its Galaxy devices, while Qualcomm provides the processor and Google is in charge of the Android operating system’s supporting software.

Also Read: Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2023 Event: What to expect?

Since many of the leading VR and AR headsets use Qualcomm chips, the company has been driving the development of phone-compatible AR and VR headsets for many years. Additionally, Qualcomm is working with Meta on upcoming smartphones and Microsoft on the hardware for its next augmented reality glasses. It’s unclear if this new partnership will work with Qualcomm’s current Snapdragon Spaces technology for phones and headsets.

Samsung unveiled its plans for mixed reality alongside the release of its latest Galaxy Book and Galaxy S23 smartphone range. The new range, which comes in three versions—standard, Plus, and Ultra—offers a number of enhancements and is currently up for preorder.

Apple

Is 2023 the year for Apple to launch its mixed-reality headset?

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According to reports, the long-awaited AR/VR headset by Apple will be available this year. According to a recent Bloomberg article, the mixed reality device will finally be released in the fall of 2023 after a number of delays. The headset has apparently been under development for seven years, with Apple aiming for a 2019 release.

Apple
Image Source: macworld.com

Apple has been incorporating augmented reality into its products for years, but it appears that with the release of a long-anticipated mixed-reality headgear in 2023, the company will quickly advance into the area of Meta, Microsoft, and Magic Leap.

According to a previous story from The Information, the new gadget might resemble a set of ski goggles. It will have multiple cameras so the system can follow a user’s motions in real time and observe events outside of the home. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, has repeatedly said over the past few years that augmented reality is a viable technology.

However, it appears that Apple’s future device will provide a mixed-reality experience. Both augmented reality and virtual reality will be available to users. The new device, which Apple may call Reality Pro, will reportedly be unveiled in June during the opening keynote of the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference, according to Bloomberg.

The creation of apps for the new Apple platform has already begun by certain developers. xrOS could be the name of the new operating system for the Apple headset. Given how many developers are interested in this event and working on third-party applications for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch, WWDC seems like the ideal venue for this type of product launch.

To ensure the long-term sustainability of the Apple headset, it will be crucial to have well-known games and apps for this latest Apple platform.

According to prior reports from Bloomberg, Apple’s mixed reality headgear would have a 3D video service and a unique take on the metaverse. The device’s built-in Mac-level M2 chip, over 10 cameras, and highest definition VR display, according to the report, will cost around $2000-$3000.

According to its most recent report, iOS 17 and iPad 17, the upcoming significant software updates for the iPhone and iPad, respectively, may contain fewer new features as a result of Apple’s concentration on the headset and its xrOS operating system.

Since it has been experimenting with augmented reality on its own iPhones and iPads for years, Apple has already left a tonne of hints about what its future in mixed reality might entail.

Probabilities are good that the headset will follow the same strategy as Meta’s most recent high-end headgear, the Quest Pro, with an emphasis on work, mixed reality, and eye tracking built in.

According to the majority of reports, Apple’s VR headset may likely be so costly and powerful that it will need to target a niche market rather than the general public.

If so, it may be aimed at the same commercial and creative workers as more sophisticated virtual reality headsets like the Varjo XR-3 and Meta Quest Pro.

Microsoft Unveils its New $3,500 Second-gen Holographic Headset HoloLens 2 at MWC 2019

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Starting on Sunday, a few tech giants have already showcased their upcoming technologies, in the Mobile World Congress ( MWC) 2019 happening in Barcelona, Spain, including LG that introduced its forthcoming foldable phone in the same event.

HOLOLENS-2
Image Source: wired.com

On the same league, Microsoft also revealed its new second generation mixed reality headset, HoloLens 2, the successor to 2016’s groundbreaking holographic headset. The device is an AI-backed pair of goggles, integrated with the company’s Azure cloud services. The new HoloLens 2 is more efficient, more advanced and more improved version of its predecessor.

The HploLens 2 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 Compute Platform and also has its own custom-built processing unit. The device comes with an iris authentication technology, such that it is ready to use as soon as the user puts it on. It offers a double field view, approximating 2,000 pixels per eye, maintaining the holographic density of 47 pixels per degree of sight. The headset projects across a 100-degree swath, which is almost double as of its predecessor, projecting to a wider viewing area. It is built with the microelectromechanical system (MEMS) display technology, providing the 2K display for each eye.

The device boasts a 5-channel microphone array, and spatial built-in hardware is employed to the device, which controls the audio I/O of the device. The device is embedded with an advanced ToF sensor, through which the headset allows the users to interact with a hologram with their hands. Now the user does not need to use the virtual reality icons, rather they can simply move their hands to control the HoloLens. It also includes a 12-megapixel RGB camera, to facilitate video conferencing.

The device uses the USB-C for charging and includes a pretty generic 2×2 802.11ac wireless radio. It also offers Remote Rendering which processes the holograms of up to 100 million polygons, through the Azure-powered service, serving as the external GPU for the HoloLens 2.

The new HoloLens 2 is more immersive and more comfortable than its predecessor. The cost of the headset is set to be $3,500 (around Rs. 2,49,000), and currently, is only available on the Microsoft e-shop, for the citizens of United States, Japan, China, Germany, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Australia, and New Zealand. According to Kipman, Microsoft’s technical fellow for AI and mixed reality, the device is not for the gamers or the knowledge workers but is specially designed for the enterprise customers, workers who fix gear shifts and work on oil rigs, and the military personnel.