With Apple’s Extended Reality (XR) headgear, Vision Pro, set to hit the market early next year, Samsung is reportedly making diligent preparations to unveil its own XR product.

According to a report from Pulse News, the English version of the Korean Daily Economic News website, data released by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on the 14th indicates that Samsung Display has recently filed for a new trademark, “Flex Magic,” sparking rumors that it is intended for Samsung’s next-generation XR headset.

Samsung Display mentioned in its application documents that the universal applications of its display panel include 3D Spectacles, Virtual Reality Headsets, Virtual Reality Goggles, and smart glasses. The company had also applied for the same trademark with the European Union Patent Office in November.

While filing a patent does not guarantee the release of a product, the South Korean industry believes that Samsung Electronics has made significant progress towards unveiling a new product.

Reportedly, industry insiders in South Korea reveal that Samsung has set a goal to launch an XR device early next year, potentially entering a new frontier in competition with Apple. Initially named “Galaxy Glass,” this device was originally scheduled for a later release next year.

In February of this year, Samsung Electronics officially announced its entry into the XR market in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm. It is expected that Samsung Electronics will handle hardware development, Google will manage software, and Qualcomm will provide chipsets specifically for the XR platform.

Reportedly, industry insiders in South Korea anticipate that its primary competitor, Apple’s Vision Pro, is expected to launch in the United States in March of next year, followed by expansion into other countries, with a starting price of USD 3,499.

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In November 2023, Quanta, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, has announced a collaboration with the U.S. AR glasses technology provider Vuzix. Through the adoption of Vuzix’s waveguide technology and optical display components, Quanta is set to engage in mass production for smart glasses, with shipments expected to commence in 2024.

The contract manufacturer like Quanta has been strengthening its technical capabilities in the VR and AR domains in recent years, aiming to possess the capacity to provide comprehensive product solutions and seize opportunities in the flourishing virtual market.

TrendForce’s Insights:

1. Quanta Continues to Explore AR Glasses, Collaboration with Vuzix Aims for Expanded Applications

In recent years, Quanta has actively invested in the AR glasses sector, including collaborative efforts with STMicroelectronics in late 2020 to develop a reference design for AR glasses and a $20 million investment in the Israeli AR startup Lumus in 2021.

The ongoing partnership with Vuzix, planning for complete device shipments, underscores Quanta’s optimistic outlook on the application development and future business opportunities for AR glasses.

Given Quanta’s key product and service areas spanning mobile computing, home entertainment, IoT, and smart manufacturing, the current trend of the metaverse positions VR and AR devices as crucial gateways to enter and add value to these domains.

With Quanta transitioning from a device supplier to a platform service provider and implementing a comprehensive development strategy of hardware-software integration, the continued focus on AR glasses holds the potential to expand profit margins for Quanta.

Vuzix, in collaboration with Quanta, has secured a prominent position in the VR and AR device market through its wearable display technology. Notably, Vuzix has developed the world’s first Micro LED AR glasses and consistently received CES Innovation Awards from 2020 to the present year.

Their product highlights encompass AR technology for swim goggles, the establishment of a comprehensive smart glasses platform featuring microLED and waveguide technologies. The recently unveiled Ultralite S, focused on sports and fitness scenarios, seamlessly integrates with smartphones or smartwatches to display real-time activity data and information on the glasses, earning it the CES 2024 Innovation Award.

With Vuzix possessing critical optical technology and components across a broad product range, the collaboration aligns well with Quanta’s AR transformation, particularly enhancing Quanta’s QOCA telemedicine cloud platform in the medical field. The synergy between the two marks a harmonious and mutually beneficial partnership.

2. Contract Manufacturer Actively Strengthen VR and AR Tech Capabilities Through Collaboration and Investment to Seize Virtual Opportunities

In addition to Quanta, various contract manufacturers have been actively enhancing their technological capabilities in the VR and AR industry through collaborations, mergers, and investments. Notably, Foxconn has been investing in and collaborating with key players in the VR and AR device market since 2022, including XRSPACE, Varjo, and the early part of 2023 with Jorjin.

Looking at other contract manufacturers, GoerTek works with major clients like Meta, Sony, and PICO, Luxshare has Apple Vision Pro assembly orders, and Pegatron has handled products for Microsoft HoloLens and Oculus, while Quanta has been involved with Microsoft Mixed Reality Headset.

Therefore, for Foxconn and other companies aiming to enter this field, adopting more investment and collaboration strategies, or even directly acquiring key tech firms, will be the fastest way to rapidly strengthen their competitive position in the VR and AR market.

Looking at the overall supply chain of the VR and AR virtual device industry, the efforts of assembly plants to strengthen their technical capabilities go beyond providing assembly outsourcing. To a certain extent, this is also aimed at developing the ability to offer complete product solutions, catering to a broader customer base.

Given that these devices prioritize image precision and real-time capture, high-end products require more components and sensors. Moreover, the non-uniform design of head-mounted devices adds complexity to the assembly of VR and AR devices.

Additionally, not all companies have the resources and industry competitiveness, as in the case of Meta and Sony, to independently develop head-mounted devices from scratch. For many, obtaining a more comprehensive product solution and then making adjustments is a more practical approach. This necessitates contract manufacturers to have enhanced VR and AR technology and ODM capabilities. This way, amidst the flourishing opportunities in the virtual market, they can offer complete head-mounted device solutions.

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• [News] Apple’s Vision Pro Headset Set to Enter Mass Production, Chinese Supply Chain Expected to Contribute 60%

Within the AR glasses industry, various enterprises have recently concluded the latest round of financing, encompassing AR glasses, AR display modules, and optical wave devices.

Chinese AR glasses firm Rokid secured USD 112 million fund

According to news on November 20th, Chinese AR glasses firm Rokid achieved a valuation of USD 1 billion and secured a financing of USD 112 million. The funds will be directed towards the expansion of Rokid’s presence in international markets.

Established in 2014 and headquartered in Hangzhou, China, Rokid introduced its latest AR smart glasses products, Rokid Max and Rokid Max Pro, in March and August of this year, respectively, featuring Micro OLED displays.

(Image: Rokid)

Presently, Rokid’s AR glasses are available in over 80 countries and regions worldwide. Rokid has planned to explore the application of AR glasses in the education sector, with an anticipation that its overseas revenue will surpass domestic revenue by 2024.

Notably, Rokid has successfully completed multiple rounds of financing in recent years, accumulating a total of nearly USD 2 billion, according to relevant media reports.

Japanese AR optical firm Cellid completes latest funding round.

Cellid announced that it received an investment from SMBC Nikko Securities in October, and combined with the undisclosed investor in September, the total financing for Cellid reached JPY 2.28 billion (approximately USD 15.25 million).

The funds from this financing round will be allocated for the establishment of mass production and quality control systems, expediting process development, and advancing the research and sales of software such as Model Builder.

(Image: Cellid )

Founded in 2016, Cellid focuses on the development and provision of AR display module hardware and spatial recognition technology software, Model Builder. The company aims to achieve higher-quality AR glasses by addressing both hardware and software components.

In 2021, Cellid initiated the supply of samples for AR glasses display modules, Cellid Waveguide 60, featuring a wider field of view optical (FOV) waveguide and a 1.2 cc size ultra-compact Micro LED projector.

In January this year, Cellid unveiled an optical module for AR glasses, equipped with a Micro LED projector, achieving a field of view of 60 degrees.

AR optical wave device company Raypai secures tens of millions in CNY Funding.

AR optical wave device company Raypai concluded a B-round financing of tens of millions of Chinese Yuan on November 21st. This round of financing was led by CVYE, VDL, and ABCI.

Raypai, known for its self-developed geometric optical waveguide technology and 2D pupil dilation technology, enables optical waveguide devices to maintain excellent optical performance while adopting a compact and lightweight form. This provides a foundation for deeply immersive, highly interactive, and highly integrated AR smart glasses.

(Image: Raypai)

Currently, Raypai has introduced over ten AR geometric optical waveguide display devices, applied in various AR smart terminal products, including QIDI ONE, RokidGLASS2, and Vision Enjoy G510.

Recently, Raypai unveiled its latest 2D geometric optical waveguide product, achieving a breakthrough in the field of view beyond 50 degrees and light efficiency exceeding 2000 nit/lm. The company has collaborated with well-known Chinese enterprises to develop consumer AR geometric optical waveguide devices for new products.

In terms of production, Raypai has completed the construction of a super-precision optical device production base in Kunshan, Jiangsu, achieving full operational status and mass delivery of the entire product line, with an annual production capacity of 120,000 sets of optical waveguide devices. Presently, based on customer demand and market trends, Raypai is planning more extensive production capacity reserves.
(Image: Rokid)

According to anue’s news, during the recent MediaTek 2023 Summit, major IC design firm MediaTek held an overseas summit in the United States and announced a new collaboration with Meta. MediaTek will take charge of developing the chip for Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, replacing the competitor Qualcomm’s Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip.

Notably, in October 2023,  Meta launched the new generation of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. These feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip, a 12-megapixel camera, and 5 microphones for sending and receiving messages. It is the world’s first smart glasses with Facebook and Instagram live streaming capabilities, enabling the recording of high-quality videos.

MediaTek has long been dedicated to developing low-power, high-performance SoC. This collaboration with Meta focuses on jointly creating a custom chip specifically designed for AR smart glasses, meeting the requirements of lightweight and compact devices. The collaborative product, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, is expected to be launched in the future.

(Photo credit: MediaTek)

In June of this year, Apple introduced the new Vision Pro headset, priced at $3,499, with plans to release it by early next year (by the end of April).

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in the Power On newsletter, Apple had been considering the development of a cheaper headset even before its June release, as the $3,499 price tag for the Vision Pro is a significant barrier to widespread adoption.

Reportedly, this more affordable follow-up version of the Vision Pro may abandon the use of an external display and Mac-grade chips to fall within the internal discussion range of $1,500 to $2,500. While not exceptionally cheap, it’s nearly half the price of $3,499.

Gurman also stated that this budget-friendly version might employ iPhone-grade chips rather than Mac-grade ones, reduce the number of cameras, and come equipped with a lower-resolution screen to cut costs.

It’s worth noting that forgoing an external display would mean Apple is eliminating a significant feature of the Vision Pro – EyeSight.

Upon first encountering the Vision Pro, individuals unfamiliar with VR technology might think the front of the device is a transparent glass, but in reality, it is an opaque display screen that also includes cameras, sensors, and chips, among other components.

Mike Rockwell, Vice President of the Vision Pro technology development team, explained that the display screen is not only curved but also lens-shaped. This means that users will see different images from various angles, in contrast to traditional 2D displays that can make the user’s eyes look unnatural, especially from a side view.

When someone approaches a user wearing the Vision Pro, the device’s field of view becomes transparent, allowing the user to see the person approaching, and the approaching person can also see the user’s eyes. When users are immersed in a spatial environment or using an app, EyeSight provides visual cues, letting others know what the user is focusing on.

In addition to developing a more affordable model, Apple is also working on a mature second-generation Vision Pro product. The new headset will have a smaller, lighter body and provide a more comfortable fit.

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(Image: Apple)