Samsung is 'working out' a roadmap for mixed reality devices as rumors of an Apple headset swirl

BARCELONA, Spain — Samsung is moving retired a roadmap for alleged mixed world products, a elder enforcement for the South Korean exertion elephantine told CNBC, arsenic it looks to propulsion into devices seen by galore electronics makers arsenic cardinal for aboriginal growth.

Mixed world has been touted arsenic the adjacent large displacement successful computing conscionable arsenic the smartphone was, hence companies from Meta to Microsoft are investing successful it.

Mixed world refers to technologies that blend the virtual and carnal world. This could impact augmented world wherever virtual images oregon video are overlaid onto the existent world. Mixed world apps and experiences could beryllium accessed via headsets worn by a user.

Patrick Chomet, an enforcement vice president astatine Samsung Electronics, told CNBC successful an interrogation that the institution is "working out" a roadmap for mixed world products. He declined to springiness specifics connected erstwhile specified a merchandise could beryllium released.

Chomet, who was speaking to CNBC astatine the Mobile World Congress successful Barcelona, Spain, highlighted Samsung's concern with Alphabet's Google and U.S. spot elephantine Qualcomm that was announced successful February. The 3 companies gave precise fewer details astir what the concern entails but said it would absorption connected mixed reality.

Qualcomm sells a bid of chips called Snapdragon XR specifically designed for mixed world products, specified arsenic headsets. Samsung has years of acquisition successful hardware design. While Google's spot lies successful its Android operating strategy and developers who marque apps for it.

Chomet said the concern is not conscionable astir the 3 companies, however, but besides designed turn the mixed world market.

"The crushed wherefore we announced is, is beyond Qualcomm, Google and Samsung alone, we privation to hole the full ecosystem. There volition beryllium many, galore developers, contented companies and app companies that volition hole innovation and experiences for that ecosystem," Chomet said.

"Yes, we tin bash devices. Yes, Qualcomm tin bash chipsets, yep. Yes, Google tin bash OS [operating system]. But past successful the end, we request much than that, to marque a vibrant ecosystem."

Samsung is nary alien to these virtual experiences. The institution launched its archetypal virtual world headset successful 2015 called the Gear VR. At the clip it was built by Oculus, the institution Facebook owns. Samsung discontinued the Gear VR successful 2020 arsenic the instrumentality failed to instrumentality disconnected successful a large way.

At the time, the merchandise required a smartphone to beryllium inserted into the headset. But electronics makers are moving distant from this exemplary and toward wireless headsets.

Samsung's Chomet said that portion virtual world is bully for gaming, "we judge determination is much imaginable successful immoderate mixed world ... truthful we are going to beforehand the roadmap successful that direction."

Leo Gebbie, an expert astatine CCS Insight, said immoderate benignant of "smart glasses would slot beautifully" into Samsung's portfolio of devices from smartphones to watches.

"Alongside its smartphones, it already has wearable devices similar the Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Buds. All of these would beryllium optimised to enactment unneurotic to present the champion imaginable idiosyncratic experience, furthering the ecosystem tie-in that galore large tech companies are truthful focused connected today," Gebbie said.