Popular Science has named Apple's Vision Pro as the gadget of the year, highlighting its visual quality and seamless user interface as key factors. Despite its high price, the Vision Pro is praised for showcasing the potential of augmented reality (AR) with its 23-million-pixel screen and real-time integration of virtual and real-world views. The device is seen as a significant step in Apple's hardware strategy, with future iterations expected to enhance consumer accessibility. Additionally, the Oura Ring 4 was recognized as the best personal care device for its innovative design and functionality.
Xreal has launched the Xreal One and Xreal One Pro, virtual display glasses with built-in 3DoF tracking and a wider field of view, eliminating the need for an external adapter. Powered by the custom X1 chip, these glasses offer a 50° to 57° diagonal field of view, surpassing previous models and competitors like HoloLens 2. The glasses also feature upgraded Bose audio and electrochromic dimming. Available for preorder, the Xreal One is priced at $500 and the Pro at $600, with shipping expected in December 2023 and early 2025, respectively.
Niantic, the creator of Pokémon Go, has revealed that the game has been used to collect vast amounts of geospatial data, training AI to understand and navigate 3D spaces. This data, gathered from millions of user-submitted photos, has been used to develop a "Large Geospatial Model" for augmented reality applications. While Niantic highlights positive uses, such as enhanced AR features, the potential for more concerning applications of this technology is also noted.
Xreal has announced the Air 2 Ultra AR glasses, priced at $699, targeting developers and competing with Meta's Quest 3 and Apple's Vision Pro headsets. The Air 2 Ultra features 6DOF tracking, dual 3D cameras for environmental mapping and hand tracking, and a 52-degree field of view. It's designed for immersive AR applications and supports a variety of devices, including macOS, Windows computers, and certain smartphones. Initially presented as a developer-focused device, Xreal has clarified that it will also be available to consumers through its website. The company has also expanded its market reach, planning to increase the availability of its Air 2 model in more countries by 2024.
XREAL, an augmented reality (AR) industry leader, is set to unveil a new generation of its Air-brand glasses, possibly the "Ultra" variant, at CES 2024. After rebranding from Nreal in early 2023, the company has continued to dominate the market, shipping over 300,000 units and holding a 50.9% market share in Q3 2023. Despite potential new competitors like Apple, XREAL is starting 2024 strong and invites creators to preview its latest spatial computing hardware at the upcoming expo in Las Vegas.
Qualcomm has unveiled a new VR and AR chip, the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 Platform, which is set to be used by Google and Samsung to enhance their immersive technology offerings. This move positions them to better compete with Apple and Meta in the VR and AR headset market. Despite a challenging 2023 for the industry, IDC predicts a recovery in AR/VR headset shipments in 2024, driven by new products from Meta and Apple. Meanwhile, Qualcomm's stock has seen a slight decline but overall growth over the past year.
XREAL, formerly known as NREAL, has taken a dominant position in the augmented reality market, securing 51% market share as announced at CES 2024. Their AR glasses, which are designed to look like regular glasses and can even come with prescription lenses, function as an external monitor for Windows PCs and Android phones, and are compatible with Samsung DeX. With the decline of Microsoft's HoloLens and Windows Mixed Reality platform, XREAL's AR glasses stand out for their affordability, style, and functionality, offering a lightweight and unobtrusive alternative to other AR and VR devices. The entry-level XREAL Air 2 Pro is priced at $300, significantly lower than competitors like Apple's Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3.
Apple, under the influence of former design lead Jony Ive, patented various concepts for the outer display of its Vision Pro headset, which is primarily an augmented reality (AR) device. The headset's EyeSight feature allows for the display of the user's eyes or abstract patterns to indicate the user's engagement level, promoting human connection as per Apple's AR philosophy. While additional patented ideas suggest more specific indicators of what the user is doing, it's believed that Apple has likely rejected these in favor of privacy and simplicity, sticking to a basic available/unavailable indicator. The release date of Vision Pro remains unknown.
The article expresses a desire for Google to establish a clear augmented reality (AR) strategy in 2024, highlighting past failures with Google Glass, Cardboard, and Daydream, and noting the competition's progress in the field, such as Meta's headsets and Apple's upcoming Vision Pro. The author suggests that AR wearables could surpass smartphones and even traditional computers in importance and urges Google to reveal its AR plans, including a potential partnership with Samsung for an XR headset, at the I/O event. The piece emphasizes the need for Google to integrate its services into AR and possibly create a Made by Google pair of glasses, drawing on the successful vision presented in the original "One Day" concept video for Google Glass.
The tech landscape in 2024 is set to be transformative with advancements in AI, including Neuralink's brain-computer interfaces and Meta's AI assistant. Augmented reality will enhance education and shopping experiences, while bioprinting will make strides in healthcare. Autonomous electric taxi services by Zoox and drone delivery services like Amazon's Prime Air will redefine transportation. The construction industry will see an increase in 3D-printed houses by companies like ICON, and the electric vehicle market will grow, with car-sharing platforms offering more EV options. These innovations promise to revolutionize convenience, sustainability, and the way we interact with the world.
