What Display Daily thinks: At our recent trip to Siggraph 2023 in Los Angeles, California, we were told by numerous augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and 3D display technology companies that there is a surge in demand for their products, a result of interest stirred by Apple’s Vision Pro launch.
We believe that you have to take everything about the AR/VR/XR space with a pinch of salt these days. Best to let Apple go to market in 2024 and see if anything happens on the demand side, on pricing, and in general, meaning, the usual metrics and KPIs for product performance. Let Apple make a market that has so far proved elusive and unstable. If they do, easy enough to follow. But, there is as much of a likelihood that the company will get bogged down in the same marshlands that Meta finds itself in with its Reality Labs business. After all, by some calculations, Meta has spent over 30 times what Apple has spent, and it hasn’t got much to show for it but internet chatter and speculation.
A Rumored Samsung XR Headset Stirs the Web
News out of Chinese blog, Vrtuolo, about a possible Samsung VR headset to compete with the Apple Vision Pro has set tongues wagging, albeit virtually, on the hundreds of tech sites that follow every rumor and hint of something on the horizon.
According to a report from Vrtuoluo.cn, leaked information indicates that Samsung is working on an XR headset prototype. The prototype showcases distinct features, including four tracking cameras positioned at the corners, dual RGB cameras for color passthrough, and a depth sensor for environment and hand tracking. The headset is said to utilize OLED microdisplays and employs pancake lenses to reduce visor thickness.
Interestingly, the headset is reported to be powered by the Samsung Exynos 2200 processor instead of a Qualcomm XR SoC. Notably, the Exynos 2200 has faced criticism in the past for its power consumption and thermal throttling issues in smartphones. The changes made to adapt the chip for the headset are yet to be fully revealed.
Unlike traditional tracked controllers, the Samsung XR headset supposedly relies on hand and eye tracking for user interaction, similar to the approach anticipated with the Apple Vision Pro headset. While the Apple Vision Pro is expected to carry a hefty price tag of $3,500, Samsung is rumored to be targeting a more affordable range of $1,000-$2,000 for their XR headset which begs the question, when did a couple of thousand dollars become an impulse purchase price point?
