Qualcomm said to be working with Samsung, Google on mixed reality smart glasses

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) is working with Samsung (OTCPK:SSNLF) and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) to explore mixed reality smart glasses that can be linked to smartphones, the chipmaker’s CEO Cristiano Amon told CNBC.

The project builds on an existing partnership between the three companies to develop mixed reality technology, which refers to the combination of augmented and virtual reality.

“What I really expect to come out of this partnership, I want everyone that has a phone to go buy companion glasses to go along with it,” said Amon.

He pointed to Meta’s (META) Ray-Ban smart glasses that can be linked to smartphones and feature an in-built camera as well as an AI voice assistant.

“I think we need to get to the point where the glasses are going to be no different than wearing regular glasses. And then with that, we can get scale,” Amon added.

If launched, the new product would be different from Apple’s (AAPL) Vision Pro, a mixed-reality headset that is controlled with hand gestures. However, users say the larger headsets are not very convenient and can be uncomfortable to wear, an issue that may be solved by mixed-reality smart glasses.