Meta and LG to forge ‘AI-XR alliance’

Executives from Meta and LG are set to convene in South Korea on Wednesday to discuss a groundbreaking "AI-XR alliance," as revealed by industry insiders. The meeting aims to solidify plans for collaborative ventures, notably the development of the Meta Quest Pro 2, a next-generation premium productivity XR headset.

According to insights from the Korea Economic Daily, Meta intends to leverage LG's expertise in crafting the Meta Quest Pro 2, positioning it as a rival to Apple's...

27 February 2024 | Applications

Samsung creates ‘Immersive Team’ for XR headset development

Samsung has created an internal "Immersive Team" dedicated to developing the company's first extended reality (XR) headset, according to a report from Korean outlet Hankyung.

The team, which operates under Samsung's Mobile Experience (MX) division, recently grew from a small group to over 100 people as Samsung aims to accelerate development and launch the headset this year.

The hurried pace comes in response to the launch of Apple's Vision Pro headset last month, which...

15 February 2024 | Applications

Storyblok: ‘App absence’ to hamper Vision Pro’s appeal

The launch of Apple's Vision Pro mixed reality headset could be hampered by the lack of apps from major platforms.

CMS specialist Storyblok has released a survey of 500 consumers revealing that 81 percent are worried about the absence of key apps impacting the device's promised "transformative content experiences." Over half said they were "very concerned."

Netflix is the latest provider to confirm that it won’t be launching a Vision Pro app alongside Google not...

30 January 2024 | Consumer IoT & Wearables

Qualcomm unveils Samsung’s XR headset chipset 

Qualcomm has unveiled the powerful Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset that is destined for Samsung's upcoming extended reality (XR) headset.

“Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 unlocks 4.3K resolution which will take XR productivity and entertainment to the next level by bringing spectacularly clear visuals to use cases such as room-scale screens, life-size overlays and virtual desktops,” said Hugo Swart, VP and GM of XR at Qualcomm.

“We are advancing our commitment to power the...

5 January 2024 | Applications

Qualcomm sets launch window for its next-gen XR chip

Qualcomm has revealed its plans to launch its next-generation chip for XR (Extended Reality) devices in Q1 2024.

The revelation came from Qualcomm's GM & VP of XR, Hugo Swart, during an interview with Korean news outlet ETNews.

Qualcomm’s next-generation XR chip is expected to power upcoming mixed-reality devices, including Samsung's first mixed-reality headset.

This announcement follows Samsung's recent revelation during the Galaxy S23 smartphone launch...

1 November 2023 | Consumer IoT & Wearables

Mark Gurman: Don’t expect a cheaper Vision Pro for several years

Apple's new Vision Pro mixed-reality headset has garnered positive attention, but its steep price has raised concerns about its potential sales.

Revealed at WWDC 2023, the Vision Pro marks Apple's entry into a new product category since the Apple Watch in 2015. Priced at $3,500, the headset is more than three times the cost of Meta's Quest Pro, which retails for $999.

While Meta offers a more affordable option with the Quest 3 headset priced at $499, Apple is reportedly...

12 June 2023 | Applications

Oculus founder says the Apple headset ‘is so good’

Oculus founder Palmer Luckey has offered nothing but praise for Apple’s upcoming mixed-reality headset.

In a tweet, Luckey simply said: “The Apple headset is so good”

https://twitter.com/PalmerLuckey/status/1657828947877560323

Luckey did not expand further on what makes the Apple headset so good but said there’s high confidence within the company for its launch.

The comment is a stark contrast with earlier reports that a number of Apple employees...

15 May 2023 | Consumer IoT & Wearables

Apple’s mixed-reality headset will use magnetic batteries

Apple's upcoming mixed-reality headset will feature a unique magnetic port for attaching a battery pack.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the external battery pack will have a proprietary connector on one end that attaches to the headset itself. The magnetic connector will be round-tipped and will lock into the port by the user turning it.

Each battery pack will offer just two hours of battery life. The magnetic connection will enable users to quickly and securely...

24 April 2023 | Applications

Apple open-source code references ‘realityOS’

A reference to realityOS has been spotted in Apple’s open-source code.

RealityOS is the operating system that Apple is widely expected to use on its upcoming mixed-reality headset. However, it may end up being named xrOS (a reference to “extended reality”) when it reaches consumers’ faces.

This week, Apple posted various bits of code on GitHub with numerous references to realityOS:

https://twitter.com/aaronp613/status/1636096450097721344

Apple’s...

16 March 2023 | Consumer IoT & Wearables

Apple’s AR/VR headset plan causes internal divisions

Internal divisions are reportedly arising at Apple over its much-anticipated AR/VR headset.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and COO Jeff Williams are said to be pushing to launch the headset as soon as possible, even if its design isn’t optimal.

Designers at Apple are said to have disagreed with their leadership and want to wait until it's feasible to launch a product that is lighter and less expensive. Current price estimates for the headset are between $2,000 and...

13 March 2023 | Consumer IoT & Wearables