Samsung, Google and Qualcomm Team Up to Build a New Mixed-Reality Platform

Samsung is the latest tech giant to lean into virtual and augmented reality. The smartphone maker says he will work with Google and his Qualcomm on its upcoming mixed reality platform.The news was shared between Samsung’s Unpacked event On Wednesday we will follow a report suggesting that Apple could release its first virtual reality headset this year.

Samsung has not said if there are any specific products in development. Nor did it provide a timeline for upcoming mixed reality products or services.

In an interview with CNET through an interpreter ahead of the event, Samsung’s mobile division president TM Roh said, “It’s like a declarative announcement about how to do it right to build the XR ecosystem. It is a thing.

Mixed reality is an umbrella term used to describe technologies that blend the properties of augmented reality and virtual reality. Augmented reality blends software and the real world by overlaying graphics over the user’s surroundings, similar to Google Glass. Virtual reality, by contrast, surrounds the wearer in her 360-degree virtual world. meta quest 2.

But a new wave of VR headsets is pushing mixed reality through pass-through cameras, a technology that fuses VR and AR technology into one product line.meta quest 2 quest pro A headset can do this. Vive XR Elite. Apple expected headset It should incorporate the same concept.

Announcement will be made at growing interest in virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. Apple plans to release a mixed reality headset he could cost $3,000 in 2023. according to Bloomberg.Sony’s PlayStation VR2 When HTC Vive XR Elite Both are set to launch this month, with Google being teased new AR glasses At last year’s Google I/O, it was aimed at language translation.metaz quest 3 It is due to arrive at the end of the year.

Samsung has been relatively quiet on virtual reality, with the exception of the Gear VR headset it launched. a few repetitions Devices between 2015 and 2017. That device is a head-mounted holster for his smartphone-powered VR experience. Roh said the company decided to discuss the plans at this time because consumers are demanding augmented and virtual reality. He says the company has been studying the category for some time.

“And now we believe we have reached a certain limit,” he said.

Samsung, Google and Qualcomm are already working together on smartphone development, so this collaboration makes sense. Samsung makes hardware for Galaxy phones, Qualcomm provides the processor Google controls the underlying Android operating system of the software.

Roh said Google and Qualcomm will play similar roles in the development of this upcoming XR platform, although there may be some overlap in certain areas. For example, even though Qualcomm supplies the processor, it’s possible that Samsung will make some optimizations similar to what was done for chips within the Galaxy S23 lineup.

“Each player has demonstrated leadership in their respective category and we will be working very closely across the different categories.

CNET reached out to Qualcomm for comment on the partnership and received the following prepared statement. Great products and Google technology – we have the foundation to realize these opportunities and drive the future of the Spatial Internet. ”

Qualcomm has long been the chip supplier for nearly all major VR and AR headsets, and has its own initiatives to drive the phone-enabled wave. VR and AR headsets years to come.Qualcomm cooperates with Microsoft Future AR glasses hardware, and Meta on top future devicesIt is unclear if this new collaboration will be compatible with Qualcomm’s existing collaboration snapdragon space headset and phone platform.

Asked for comment, Google’s Kaori Miyake added, “We are excited to work with our partners to build a new generation of immersive computing experiences that will further improve what users can do with Google.”

A collaboration similar to Wear OS?

Two years ago, Samsung and Google Announcing a collaboration With the next wave of Wear OS watches, galaxy watch 4 and before google pixel watchWhile this Qualcomm/Google/Samsung partnership is quite different, the spirit of collaboration may be much the same.

With Wear OS, Samsung is helping improve the core functionality of Google’s next-generation watch platform as a hardware partner, and Google highlighted the addition of software crossover and Fitbit features to Android. For the next generation mixed reality hardware platform to be successful, existing apps and phone compatibility may be required.

Samsung’s Google/Qualcomm collaboration will do the same for Google and Samsung mobile hardware, as Apple’s headsets look likely to weave in VR and AR compatibility with existing Mac and iOS offerings. can do.

If this is the type of collaboration that this mixed reality partnership suggests, Google’s move in this space remains the next big question mark.

Samsung has announced its ambitions for mixed reality. New Galaxy S23 smartphone lineupfaster performance, longer battery life on the two smaller models, and an improved camera.