Qualcomm introduced Snapdragon Spaces, an Android platform that enables developers to integrate augmented reality into Android apps. It will be compatible with any Snapdragon Spaces-compatible headset.
The AR industry will face intense competition in 2022.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Spaces platform empowers the “next generation of augmented reality glasses”. It leverages the company’s decades of experience in augmented reality research to provide augmented reality developers with advanced features like object and image recognition, spatial mapping, and scene recognition.
Through the Pathfinder program, selected developers have access to this platform in early access. Public access is scheduled for spring 2022.
Qualcomm and other AR makers are likely to begin the transition from enterprise to consumer soon.
Lenovo ThinkReality A3 AR glasses, already available for business users, will be one of the first to support the platform. But that’s not the only indication that exciting things are about to take place in the augmented reality world.
Xiaomi, a direct partner.
Xiaomi is one of Qualcomm’s first Snapdragon Space partners. The company said it is looking forward to enabling augmented reality app developers to wear glasses. “Specifically future Snapdragon Space-powered devices”.
The company has publicly announced plans for augmented reality glasses, sharing several concepts, including a pair of autonomous glasses.
Competition is another factor to consider.
As Snapdragon Spaces is Android-only, its competition will come from Apple, which has the largest AR content provider in the world through its ARKit platform.
Since ARKit release in 2017, developers had a long way to experiment the new technology on smartphones. Thus, within the upcoming AR/VR headset that is rumored to appear in 2022, Apple could take advantage of the ARKit app library.
With this strategy, Apple would acquire an enormous library of consumer-focused content from day one, making its AR/VR headset immediately more attractive than its competitors.
When developers gain access to the Snapdragon Spaces platform next spring, it’s likely we’ll see Android-based smart glasses appear around (or most likely, just before) Apple’s headset unveiling later this year.
For MetaNews.