Cristiano Amon, the CEO of Qualcomm, recently shared information about new developments in his company… and also among partners who may not have asked for anything!
Technology race
Beyond the personal computer sector (with Microsoft and Copilot+PC) and smartphones, Qualcomm is investing heavily in mixed reality, a technology that combines virtual and augmented reality. This field is not new for the American company, but the sector is experiencing a resurgence of interest with the arrival of a project co-developed with Google and Samsung.
Together, they are working on connected glasses to offer “ new experiences ” to users, according to Cristiano Amon. Unlike bulky headsets like the Meta Quest or Apple’s Vision Pro, the emphasis here is on portability and discretion, with glasses resembling classic models.
The executive makes it clear that the goal is for smartphone users to turn to these glasses as a natural companion to their mobile device. He says: ” What I really expect from this partnership is that those who have a phone will go Buy smart glasses to go with it. “There is therefore no question of launching completely autonomous glasses; at present, the technology is not yet ready and this will perhaps require many years of hard work on the part of the industry.
The smart glasses designed by Qualcomm, Google and Samsung are intended to be discreet, lightweight and capable of performing some of the calculations in parallel with the smartphone. The idea is to make the technology accessible while reducing the size and weight of the devices, a challenge that other players in the market have not yet fully met. In comparison, Meta’s Ray-Ban Stories glasses, which are enjoying some success, are limited to audio, without integrating screens or projectors.
For Cristiano Amon, the key to success in this sector lies in the standardization of smart glasses: ” We need to reach a point where (smart) glasses will be no different from regular glasses or sunglasses. ” he says. This goal shows that Qualcomm’s approach differs radically from that of Apple, whose Vision Pro headset, much more imposing, does not have the same portability (but it is completely autonomous).
The announcement of the partnership between Qualcomm, Samsung and Google dates back to last year. This collaboration is therefore starting to take shape and could mark a turning point for mixed reality, even if much remains to be done. The market for virtual and augmented reality devices is still modest compared to that of smartphones. According to IDC, around 9.7 million mixed reality headsets are expected to be sold this year, far from the 1.23 billion smartphones shipped.
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