Google may unveil Android XR, the operating system for Samsung’s upcoming mixed reality headset, at its I/O conference in May.
Google AR/VR writes on X that there will be “AR announcements” at Google I/O 2024.
If Google and Samsung do indeed launch a mixed reality headset in late 2024 or early 2025, Google I/O would be the perfect platform to announce the Android XR spatial operating system and get developers on board.
However, the AR announcements could just be a new iteration of ARKit or new AR features for Google Maps, Google Lens, or another Google app.
In early 2023, Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm announced a partnership to develop a mixed reality headset. A year later, Qualcomm unveiled the premium Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset that will be used in Samsung’s headset, clocking slightly faster than the chipset in the Quest 3. The device is intended as an Android counterpart to the Vision Pro and will come with its own operating system reportedly called Android XR.
Google tried to persuade Meta to switch to Android XR, but Meta declined the offer for understandable reasons. Meta is working with LG on its own premium headset and Quest Pro successor, which could be released in 2025.
Source: Mixed News
