Samsung follows Apple with its own AR glasses patent
Does this mark the end of Gear VR?
As rumors continue to swirl around regarding Apple's alleged AR glasses, it appears that Samsung is also interested in getting some of that sweet augmented reality action.
A patent application has recently been discovered by Dutch website Galaxy Club which outlines the South Korean company's plans for its own AR headset, as spotted by The Verge.
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Originally filed on February 1, 2019, the design patent was only made public in South Korea a few days ago, and features a number of details, illustrations and even a full 3D render of the proposed device (see above). You can check out all the application's included diagrams below.
According to the application, Samsung's AR glasses will include individual projection screens for each eye, two cameras, and what appears to be either a small speaker or an area filled with venting holes.
Additionally, one of the images shows a cable running down the AR glasses' right arm, although it's unknown whether this is a charging cable or if the headset will require a wired connection to an accompanying smart device in order to function.
Whether Samsung has serious plans to launch AR glasses in the future remains to be seen, however it's worth noting that things have been extremely quiet over the last year in regards to the company's virtual reality play, Gear VR. Is that because the South Korean giant now sees augmented reality as the future? We'll just have to wait and see.
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Stephen primarily covers phones and entertainment for TechRadar's Australian team, and has written professionally across the categories of tech, film, television and gaming in both print and online for over a decade. He's obsessed with smartphones, televisions, consoles and gaming PCs, and has a deep-seated desire to consume all forms of media at the highest quality possible.
He's also likely to talk a person’s ear off at the mere mention of Android, cats, retro sneaker releases, travelling and physical media, such as vinyl and boutique Blu-ray releases. Right now, he's most excited about QD-OLED technology, The Batman and Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga.