Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm announce XR partnership ahead of Apple’s rumored headset debut

While the world waits for Apple to finally tear off the band-aid and let us know what mixed/virtual/augmented reality device it’s been working on all of these years, Samsung took the opportunity during its 2023 Unpacked event to tease something very slightly more concrete. 

The device maker brought executives onstage from Qualcomm, which has produced chipsets like the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 1 Platform for the Meta Quest Pro, and Google, which continues to integrate an expand AR functionality for apps like Google Maps, Google Lens, and its ARCore platform. The trio then announced…something. Apparently none of the companies were ready to share details just yet about their collaboration, only that they are indeed collaborating. 

They also clearly wanted to make it known that they’re a strong triumvirate, and all heavily invested in Android, and interested in integrating XR content and hardware into their devices. 

Also: Here’s everything Samsung announced at Unpacked 2023

While we can only guess at the specifics of what the trio might be planning, the reason for the announcement is pretty clear: rumors that Apple is poised to finally take the wraps off its own XR hardware are once again beginning to ramp up, with a Spring 2023 timeframe being the latest supposed window. If this proves true, three of Apple’s biggest competitors in the smartphone and chip spaces can now say they staked at least somewhat of a claim before Cupertino planted its flag. 

Hopefully within a few months we’ll finally have some answers about what any of these companies are actually planning to try to sell us, and when we might be able to buy it.