Three companies have announced an alliance that will see them work together to build a new mixed-reality platform. The news comes as Apple reportedly readies for a mixed-reality headset of its own.
Apple iPhone competitors Google and Samsung have joined forces with Apple chip supplier Qualcomm to "create a new era of highly immersive digital experiences that blur the line between our physical and digital worlds," Qualcomm's Cristiano Amon said during Samsung's Unpacked event.
The technology will use Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR technology, with Samsung and Google adding their "amazing products" and "experiences" to the mix, Amon continued.
Competition heats up
That was as much as the announcement said, TechCrunch notes. The event was chiefly held to allow Samsung to announce its Galaxy S23 lineup. Still, the trio of companies also took the opportunity to announce the work they're doing together.
While none of them mentioned it, Apple's unannounced Reality Pro mixed-reality headset loomed large over the announcement.
Reality Pro is expected to be announced within months, with the headset sporting multiple cameras and displays to allow Apple to weave together an augmented and virtual reality experience that it hopes will be like no other. We've even heard claims that Siri will help people build apps for the headset.
It seems clear that Google, Samsung, and Qualcomm are joining together to try and ensure they have enough to compete with Apple and another company that's bet big on the metaverse — Mark Zuckerberg's Meta.
If the mixed-reality headset is the next smartphone, could we already see how things will shake out? If so, Google, Samsung, and Qualcomm should have the combined software, hardware, and silicon chops to compete with both Apple and Meta moving forward.
Whatever happens, we can be sure that the competition to make the best VR headset isn't going to be boring.
