Google and Samsung Electronics have unveiled a joint push into the mixed-reality market, introducing a new operating system and headset in a bid to challenge devices from Apple and Meta Platforms.
In what they called a collaboration as “one team”, the two companies announced a version of Google’s Android software for XR — shorthand for extended reality, which refers to a range of virtual and augmented reality technologies. They also showed off a Samsung-built headset code-named Project Moohan, taken from the Korean word for “infinite”.
The two tech giants look to jump-start a market that’s been slow to take off. Apple’s US$3 499 Vision Pro headset, released this year, remains a niche product — held back by its burdensome weight and hefty price tag. And Meta has had more success with smartglasses and cheaper VR headsets than higher-end mixed-reality devices.
The new Android will allow a range of companies to design their own XR devices — both headsets and lighter-weight glasses — while also taking advantage of the latest artificial intelligence advances. The hope is to replicate the success Google had with the original version of Android, which is used by most major smartphones. Companies like Sony Group, Xreal and Lynx Mixed Reality have committed to build devices running the new operating system, Google said.
“The time for XR is now,” Sameer Samat, a Google executive who oversees the Android ecosystem, said in an interview. “We’re not strangers to this space,” he said, referring to Google Glass, a precursor to today’s devices that flopped a decade ago. “The technology wasn’t quite ready at the time, but we never stopped believing in the vision of what XR could be.”
Mixed-reality devices blend real-world inputs with virtual reality, an immersive experience that’s long been associated with gaming. Augmented reality refers to the overlaying of data and graphics on the things users are seeing around them.
‘Took a pause’
Samat said Google had been developing Android XR for several years, but “took a pause” to rebuild the software around AI. The company’s AI features are now core to the operating system. For instance, glasses with Android XR can use external cameras to analyse a newly bought piece of furniture and then provide instructions to assemble it. On a headset, it can control actions like mapping out a holiday in Google Maps.
The companies showcased Android XR to potential partners at a developer-focused event in New York on Thursday. The first Android XR product to market will be the Samsung headset, which is set to debut sometime next year.
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In contrast with Google’s approach, Apple has no plans to offer the Vision Pro’s software — visionOS — to outside device makers. For its part, Meta said this year that it’s developing a version of its Horizon operating system for third-party headsets, including ones from Asustek Computer and Lenovo Group. Meta also has previewed a pair of next-generation AR glasses called Orion. That’s a category Apple has yet to commit to publicly.
“The Apple Vision Pro is an amazing device, but it’s one device,” Samat said. “We see a range of devices that will solve different problems in the ecosystem.”
He believes Android could power specialised headsets for gaming, watching videos, performing surgery or even professional cycling. “We expect Android XR to cover all of this,” Samat said.
During a series of demonstrations at Google’s offices in Mountain View, California, the two companies showed the capabilities of Samsung’s headset as well as several Google-developed glasses prototypes.
The Samsung device resembles the Vision Pro, including its curved front, built-in speakers and high-resolution displays. It also has a similar ability to toggle between VR and AR modes, and an external battery pack that connects over a cable.
The hardware itself is encased in grey plastic with cushions, and it’s able to be worn with or without a light seal — a component that blocks outside light from hindering the experience. The battery pack is interchangeable and connects over USB-C. Samsung said that a range of different packs could be available with varying levels of battery life.
The major difference from the Apple Vision Pro is that the Samsung device feels lighter and more comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. It also features a large cushion for the back of a user’s head, plus an adjustable plastic piece that goes around the head. And the field of view on the Samsung device appears larger than on the Vision Pro, allowing a user to see more content at once.
The idea is to better distribute the weight, said Won-Joon Choi, head of research and development at Samsung’s mobile division. “We’ve done tons of studies” using people’s head data and simulations, he said, adding that “first impressions are very important”. The company believes comfort should be one of its top priorities when building a wearable device, Choi said.
Android XR
With the Samsung product, users can double-tap the side to move between AR and VR mode. That means they can switch between seeing the outside world and more immersive environments, such as a mountain range or other VR backgrounds. Likewise, the Vision Pro allows users to choose their level of immersion by turning a watch-like crown.
The Android XR operating system itself is highly reminiscent of visionOS, allowing users to fill their space with multiple windows that can be moved and resized. It includes many of the core Android apps and Google services, including Maps, YouTube, Google TV, Photos, Docs and Chrome. The software can be used like a standard computer and controlled with a mouse and keyboard.
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The Samsung device can also be operated by hand and eye control. The big difference from the Vision Pro — at least with the prototype device — is a user needs to lift their hands up to control certain items while looking at them. Vision Pro users are able to leave their hands in their laps.
Overall, the interface was smooth to operate and included features that users expect from VR headsets, including immersive video playback. Like the latest version of visionOS, the software also includes a feature that can turn photos into 3D memories. It has a leg up on the Apple device, though, by providing the same feature for previously recorded videos.
When it comes to providing content for the device, Google is planning to rely heavily on stereoscopic video that’s already available on YouTube. Apple has been funding its own original VR video for the Vision Pro and has been slowly making more material available. Like Apple, Google also will offer a software development kit for third-party applications. And it will run existing Android phone and tablet apps that users can access from the Google Play store.
Samsung wouldn’t say how much the headset will cost or exactly when it will go on sale next year, though the company hinted that it would undercut the Vision Pro’s $3 499 price. — (c) 2024 Bloomberg LP
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