Google is making an AR headset with new Qualcomm chips
By Shannon Liao @Shannon_Liao May 18, 2018, 12:46pm EDT
theverge.com
Google is reportedly working on a standalone augmented reality headset that will use new Qualcomm chips. It will be built by Taiwanese computer maker Quanta. The project is still in its early stages, according to documents obtained by WinFuture.
The AR headset is supposed to be similar to Microsoft’s HoloLens, a headset that came out in 2016 and is aimed at design, training, and industrial use. The Google AR headset that’s in development will reportedly be self-contained and powered by a Qualcomm chip, rather than tethered to another device. It will also include cameras and microphones. The headset is currently going by the name “Google A65.” There’s no release date yet for the Google A65 as it’s still in the prototype stage, according to WinFuture.
The headset won’t only operate like a HoloLens, but it will use the same chips. HoloLens is rumored to be getting an update this year, with a new ARM-powered design and an improved field of view. The Qualcomm chips that will reportedly be used in both the new HoloLens and the new Google headset are the Qualcomm QSC603 four-core chips, based on ARM architecture.
Google already produces an augmented reality headset called Google Glass, which was released to some criticism in 2013, and it received a new enterprise version last year. The Google Glass is basically a smart heads-up display and camera, though, while HoloLens-style headsets support what’s sometimes called “mixed reality,” with objects that appear to be part of the world, not just overlaid onto it. |
