Magic Leap has entered a “multi-faceted, strategic know-how partnership” with Google.
The businesses say the partnership will mix Magic Leap’s “management in optics and manufacturing” with Google’s “know-how platforms”.
Google was an preliminary investor in Magic Leap, main a $542 million funding spherical again in 2014. Google CEO Sundar Pichai additionally joined the Magic Leap board on the time, however he stepped down in 2018, ostensibly as a consequence of his schedule being too busy.
Final yr The Monetary Occasions reported Magic Leap was in talks with Meta for an mental property (IP) licensing and contract manufacturing deal supposed for “mainstream AR merchandise”. The partnership with Google suggests this fell by means of, although it is attainable the partnership is non-exclusive.
Samsung can also be constructing a headset with Google powering the software program, however Samsung’s system is predicted to be a VR-style headset with passthrough cameras like Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional and Meta Quest 3. Magic Leap’s know-how is distinctly completely different from all three, utilizing clear AR optics as a substitute.
Why Magic Leap?
If you happen to’re unfamiliar, Magic Leap is an AR headset firm, majority owned by Saudi Arabia since final yr.
In 2018 it launched the primary clear AR headset marketed and offered to shoppers. However Magic Leap 1’s eye-watering $2300 worth and the constraints of clear optics (even right this moment) meant it reportedly fell considerably in need of gross sales expectations. The Info reported that Magic Leap’s founder, the CEO on the time, initially anticipated it to promote over a million models within the first yr. In actuality it reportedly offered simply 6000 models within the first six months.
In late 2019, round 16 months after launch, Magic Leap pivoted its technique to enterprise and launched a brand new $3000 bundle with enterprise guarantee and assist.
The corporate right this moment remains to be absolutely centered on enterprise. Magic Leap 2 launched final yr at $3300, leapfrogging HoloLens 2 with a taller area of view, brighter shows, and distinctive dynamic segmented dimming.
Magic Leap 2 stays the best-in-class clear AR headset in the marketplace, and the corporate’s experience in clear AR is clearly what Google is trying to leverage.
There is not a lot main competitors in clear optics AR although, as firms like Meta and Apple are taking the choice method of delivering AR through cameras on the entrance of VR-style opaque headsets as a substitute, typically known as blended actuality. Of the massive tech giants solely Microsoft wager on clear optics, and HoloLens 2 is now virtually 4 years outdated. Digicam passthrough allows a a lot wider area of view and decrease value than waveguides, however with the tradeoff that the view of the actual world is decrease high quality.
Clear AR optics shall be wanted to launch AR glasses although, which all the foremost tech firms ultimately need to do.
In trade for offering its AR optics experience, Magic Leap might get entry to Google’s companies, together with Chrome, Maps, the Play Retailer, its Lens laptop imaginative and prescient tech, and Gemini AI. This might even be Magic Leap’s path to reentering the buyer market, with Google dealing with the software program aspect of the providing.
