Skip to main content

Microsoft and Samsung could team up on new AR headset

Samsung and Microsoft might be teaming up on a new augmented reality headset, with a possible release coming in 2024, according to a new rumor.

Digital Trends can not verify the original report behind the rumor, but according to The Elec, Microsoft and Samsung have reportedly started working on this project that’s scheduled to last two years. Samsung apparently started its task force for the project in March and Microsoft in the summer. Multiple divisions of Samsung’s business are also involved in the product, including Samsung Display, Electro-Mechanics, and SDI.

HoloLens 2 on a man's head.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Released in 2019, the HoloLens 2 was Microsoft’s last big commercial and enterprise augmented reality headset. Unlike other headsets, it has all the computing power built right in, without the need for a smartphone or laptop. A follow-up is a bit overdue. Microsoft teaming up with Samsung on a new headset could make it more affordable and broaden its reach. This is especially important as Apple makes gains in the same space in its quest for a similar consumer-oriented headset.

It seems as though Samsung could be the hardware manufacturer for this headset, per rumors, as the company previously invested in DigiLens, which creates optics and technologies for AR displays. It’s not known if the headset will end up being a consumer product, but commercial could be a better option, according to The Elec. Alex Kipman, who invented the HoloLens, noted in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that HoloLens technology is not ready in terms of comfort, immersion, or value for consumers.

Currently, HoloLens is still enterprise only. It is in use in hospitals and frontline pandemic workers also use the headset. Microsoft even won a Pentagon contract to produce a military version of HoloLens for the U.S. Army. And earlier in 2021 Microsoft announced Mesh, a cross-technology platform for collaboration, communication, and more that works on HoloLens.

Microsoft and Samsung are no strangers when it comes to partnerships. When Microsoft launched Windows Mixed Reality consumer headsets, which blend the physical and digital worlds, but also depend on being tethered to a computer, Samsung was a key partner. Samsung launched both the HMD Odyssey and the MD Odyssey+. Both are still available for sale.

Editors' Recommendations

Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
Vision Pro 2: everything we expect from the future of Apple’s headsets
The Apple Vision Pro reveals the wearer's eyes on a front-facing display.

Apple’s Vision Pro headset has just made a huge splash in the tech world, but Apple is already planning to follow it up with two new models that could take the headset to new heights -- and put it into the hands of more people. That includes a second-generation Apple Vision Pro, as well as a pared-back headset with a lower price.

What exactly should we expect from these devices? What kind of features will they offer, and when will they launch? If you’re seeking the answers to all those questions and more, you’re in the right place, as our rumor roundup will guide you through everything you need to know. Let’s get started.
Vision Pro 2: price and release date

Read more
Apple may be forced to change the Vision Pro headset’s name
A person tries on an Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset in an Apple Store, with an Apple employee alongside them.

Apple’s Vision Pro headset has only just been revealed, but it could already be in trouble. Not only is Apple allegedly struggling to make anywhere near as many units as it wants to, but the company might even be forced to change the device’s moniker in an apparent naming oversight.

That’s because a report from Chinese site MyDrivers (here's the translation) claims that Apple might not be able to use the name Vision Pro in China, as rival tech firm Huawei had already trademarked the title in the country as far back as 2019.

Read more
Apple’s cheaper version of Vision Pro headset could be years away
A person wearing Apple's Vision Pro headset.

Apple’s new Vision Pro mixed-reality headset has been mostly warmly received, but its high price has left many wondering if it’ll actually sell.

Unveiled last week at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, the Vision Pro -- the company’s first new product category since the Apple Watch landed in 2015 -- comes with a $3,500 price tag, making it more than three times the price of Meta’s top-of-the-range Quest Pro, which costs $999.

Read more