Google and Samsung Electronics have jointly taken a new step in the market for so-called mixed reality, where real reality is mixed with virtual reality. They announced a new operating system and headset on Thursday to compete with similar devices from Apple and Meta Platforms.
The Samsung headset, expected in the course of next year, will allow users to see their surroundings through glasses, with a layer of apps and applications on top. They can navigate through the virtual images with their eyes, voice and hands. “The headsets allow you to effortlessly go from total immersion in a virtual world to presence in the real world,” Google says. For example, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), it would be possible to point the camera at an object and search for it online.
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In what Google and Samsung call a “one team” collaboration, the two companies are announcing a special version of Android, Google’s operating system, that is suitable for such a headset. “Android Android XR will also run on augmented reality glasses. Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, will be available on both the headsets and glasses. (Continue reading below the video)
Apple in Meta
Apple previously released the Vision Pro. However, according to experts, this remains a niche product, especially because it costs $3,500. The Vision Pro would also be relatively heavy. Meta – the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – seems to have had more success with smart glasses and cheaper virtual reality headsets than with more advanced mixed reality equipment.