Google reportedly wants to counter Apple’s first spatial computer, the Vision Pro, with a software platform for augmented reality (AR). According to a media report, what initially sounds like a repeat of history, since Google’s smartphone already focused on responding to the iPhone not with its own smartphone but with the Android operating system for other manufacturers Mixed reality projects are anything but smooth.
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For more than ten years according to Business Insiders, Google is trying to gain a foothold in the AR, VR and XR space. According to the journalists, they spoke to seven former and current Google employees. One of the most prominent examples of Google’s quest is the early Google Glass AR glasses, which were not embraced by the public. Google also made a name for itself with names like Cardboard, Daydream and Tango. In 2020, a new team was formed to advance the topic of augmented reality under the code name Iris. Google promised support through the takeover of the start-ups North and Raxium. This year, however, Google is said to have discontinued the Iris project.
Codename Betty
Google has now offered the software for Iris to various hardware manufacturers under the code name Betty. As with the smartphone, the company is also looking to work with Samsung, which is developing its own headset called Moohan. Google’s platform is slated to be ready in 2025 — about a year after Apple’s Vision Pro, which is slated for US release in early 2024.
Apple’s move has caused a lot of frustration among Google’s employees. Employees who spoke to Business Insider complained about the dwindling workforce in the wake of Google’s mass layoffs, management’s lack of focus and constant shifts in strategy.
(mki)