Besides the S23 and Galaxy Book 3 series, Samsung today announced that it’s working on “extended reality” (XR) products alongside Google and Qualcomm.
Android SVP Hiroshi Lockheimer and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon appeared at the end of Unpacked 2023 to talk about the partnership.
Samsung’s TM Roh told The Washington Post that the company is working on XR and that it’s “not too far away.” As such, there are no specific product announcement today at Unpacked besides the partnership news.
It’s working with Google on the software, specifically an “unannounced version of the Android operating system meant specifically to power devices such as wearable displays,” according to The Post. Google is using the term “immersive computing,” while XR is notably Samsung’s preferred term.
We’re excited to work with our partners to build a new generation of immersive computing experiences that will further elevate what users can do with Google.
Google spokesperson
Meanwhile, the chipset will be for Qualcomm, which just announced the Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 as a purpose-built 4nm chip for augmented reality glasses in November. It also has the XR2 for both augmented and virtual reality headsets.
Samsung will also work with Meta and Microsoft on “service partnerships.”
We believe that the ecosystem has to be somewhat ready for the product to be launched and for the product to be successful as well.
TM Roh
Given the current state of available technology, the initial form factor is likely a headset, rather than glasses, like the Meta Quest Pro or rumored Apple headset.
Lockheimer talked about collaborating with Samsung on Google Meet and Messages, Wear OS, and large-screen Android devices (tablets + foldables). The Google executive emphasized ARCore, Google Maps Live View navigation, and Google Lens visual search, noting how those products are a “prelude to our long-term vision.”
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Author: Abner Li
Source: 9TO5Google
