Qualcomm unveils new reference AR glasses

Qualcomm has a new version of its augmented reality glasses. It hopes they can help hardware partners build their immersive eyewear. The Wireless AR Smart Viewer Reference Design can now tether wirelessly to a host PC, phone, or puck. It's also 40% thinner than the previous generation and should have a better-balanced weight distribution.

It runs on a slightly older Snapdragon XR2 platform. Each eye features a 1080p, 90Hz micro-OLED display that prevents motion blur. You get an entire six-degrees-of-freedom movement with the help of three cameras (two monochrome, one colour) and hand tracking and gesture recognition. It has both Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth to keep lag under 3ms between the glasses and host device. Many manufacturers already have access to them, and more should get their turn within the "coming months." 

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OPPO reveals rollable handset and AR glasses concepts

At this year's OPPO Inno Day, the Chinese company unveiled two new concepts it is working on. One is a smartphone with a rolling screen, and another is a set of augmented reality glasses. The OPPO X 2021 is the company's newest concept phone, which it claims is the result of its research and development on flexible displays. It comes with a 6.7-inch screen size as a smartphone, but it can expand to a more square, tablet-like 7.4-inch panel.

OPPO claims it developed its own power train, structural plate, and screen laminate to ensure the X 2021 is durable. 

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Report claims Facebook partners with Ray-Ban to develop smart glasses

Engadget

Where its competition has failed, Facebook is trying its luck. The social media company has reportedly partnered with Luxottica, the parent company of Ray-Ban, to help with the development of its augmented reality glasses.  CNBC reported that the smart specs have been in development for years over at the Facebook Reality Labs in Redmond, Washington. But project Orion, as it's called, has faced a bunch of roadblocks. One of the problems is fitting the hardware into a device consumers would want to wear. And that is where Luxottica can help them.

Just like other AR glasses, these glasses will serve as an alternative to constantly checking on your mobile phone. It shows information like notifications and text messages on a small display in the lens. It could work with the voice assistant Facebook is developing. And it might be safe to assume Facebook would integrate some key features to access its site easily through these glasses. The earliest these glasses could hit consumers would be 2023. As for whether you would want one is an entirely different discussion altogether.

Source: Gizmodo