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Samsung Working on Gear VR Headset Successor; Developing Augmented Reality Headset: Report

Samsung Working on Gear VR Headset Successor; Developing Augmented Reality Headset: Report

By Shekhar Thakran | Updated: 19 December 2016 13:05 IST

Highlights

Company expected to showcase its AR tech at MWC 2017 in February
Samsung to launch new Gear VR headset in "short time"
Company's AR tech approach is more business-centric

At Virtual Reality Summit in San Diego, Samsung Electronics' Vice-President Sung-Hoon Hong has reportedly revealed the South Korean company's interest in developing an augmented reality (AR) device and that it is working on a new version of existing Gear VR headset.

Sung-Hoon said the successor to the existing Gear VR headset will be presented in short time while the AR device from the company will build upon technology from Microsoft's HoloLens as well as from Magic Leap, as per a report by Wearable Zone. Sung-Hoon reportedly said that he expects Samsung to unveil its AR technology at MWC 2017 in February (around the same time it is expected to launch its Galaxy S8 smartphone).

Sung-Hoon said that his team is developing a light field engine that can be used with Samsung's holograph technology.

"Samsung's hologram technology is really, really realistic. It looks really touchable," the report quoted him as saying.

Sung-Hoon didn't provide specific details about the new Gear VR headset but considering the "short time" mention, there is a fair chance that it might also be unveiled at MWC 2017 in Barcelona in February.

To recall, Samsung upgraded its Gear VR headset earlier this year alongside the launch of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone.

Unlike the VR headset, Sung-Hoon clarified that the company's approach in the AR space is more business-centric than consumer-centric. Considering the hefty price tag of $3,000 on Microsoft's HoloLens, this shouldn't particularly come as a surprise from the company.

Even though Sung-Hoon didn't explicitly mentioned any partnerships formed by Samsung, his mention of Magic Leap startup might indicate a future collaboration. The company has previously partnered with Oculus to develop its VR headset for consumers.

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