Qualcomm launched today its new Snapdragon
XR2 platform. It is the world's first 5G-supported chip for XR, MR, VR and AR
smartglasses and smartgoggles.
XR2 is a
premium platform, for premium smartglasses, that delivers faster computing, better AI, more realistic VR, smoother video, crisper resolution, and richer AR gaming (like Pokemon Go).
This is
good news for the smartglasses market, which has long been a graveyard of failure for Google Glass, Snap Spectacles, Vuzix Blade and others in recent years.
However, we expect high
pricing to be a challenge for any 5G smartglasses, while no manufacturers truly have any idea what might be the next
killer app for such devices.
As so often, the
wearables industry will probably sit on its hands and wait to see what
Apple does. Will we see a pair of "iGlasses" next year?