Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event centered on the S23 and Galaxy Book3, but towards the end of the presentation, the company unveiled a teaser of its current project, an extended reality (XR) headset. The South Korean tech giant announced its partnership with Google and Qualcomm to create the new wearable device in its showcase.
It is a different take to Samsung's wearable tech, particularly as it had the Gear VR series released before, but this time, it will take on mixed reality which may be the same as Apple.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked: XR Headset in Development
(Photo : Samsung via YouTube Screenshot)
Samsung's TM Roh went on stage towards the final moments of the Galaxy Unpacked event to announce a new development regarding the company's future, one that centers on an XR headset. The executive claimed that Samsung will focus on "building the next XR experience" for the public, centering on the latest technology there is.
This took the Unpacked attendees by surprise, especially as this would be the first time that Samsung would venture toward the XR experience.
It is known that it previously created a VR device called the Gear VR back in 2016, and it is powered by Oculus technology, which is now known as Meta.
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Samsung Partners with Google, Qualcomm
In this announcement, Samsung's TM Roh said that it is already working on this XR headset with Google and Qualcomm, partnering together to deliver a new extended reality platform in the world. Roh welcomed Cristiano Amon, President & CEO of Qualcomm, and Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP of Platforms & Ecosystems at Google.
(Photo : Samsung via YouTube Screenshot)
The three talked about the applications of the latest XR focus of Samsung but did not announce any release date or specific features of the device.
XR Headset Development
Two big tech companies are in the court for XR headset development. One is the rumored Apple mixed-reality headset that still has no confirmations regarding the project, and the other one is the Microsoft HoloLens.
Apple is long-rumored for its XR headset from different sources and analysts that claim it is coming this 2023 for the world. However, its main focus is on professionals and developers that will come at a premium price tag and limited units once it releases.
Microsoft also has its HoloLens which delivers a mixed-reality experience to the world, but the company already stopped with its development of the third generation. The company said that it will center on improving the software and system that people would use the headsets with, focusing on its HoloLens 2.
Many more companies are developing mixed-reality headsets, but as far as Big Tech goes, the next to express their interest in this device is Samsung.
It is unknown what their take would be on this XR device, but it taps into Google's Android to help with the system, and Qualcomm to power its features for this Samsung wearable.
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