Report that Google, Samsung, Qualcomm's AR headset development project 'Project Moohan' is about to fail as soon as possible

Google announced in February 2023 that it would develop an Android-based AR (augmented reality) headset jointly with Samsung and Qualcomm. However, it is reported that this development project is about to run into a deadlock as soon as possible.

Google's AR projects are reportedly facing even more setbacks - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/23/23843308/google-samsung-ar-mixed-reality-headsets

“Project Moohan” is Google and Samsung's inevitable Apple Vision Pro clone | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/project-moohan-is-google-and-samsungs-inevitable-apple-vision-pro-clone/

At the new product launch `` Galaxy Unpacked 2023 '' held in February 2023, Samsung announced a project to jointly develop an AR / VR headset in partnership with Google and Qualcomm.

Samsung, Google and Qualcomm are working together to develop a new AR / VR - GIGAZINE

However, according to Business Insider , an economic media, although this joint development project is being promoted under the name of 'Project Moohan', it has already become a seed of political conflict within Google.

A person familiar with 'Project Moohan' said, 'Samsung told Google that Google's AR product-related hardware development team, which exists separately from 'Project Moohan,' shared information in 'Project Moohan.' I told Business Insider that I did not want the technology of this project to be known because there is a possibility of developing a competing product.' It seems that Samsung has already begun to take the initiative in the project, and the former employee said, ``In this partnership between Google and Samsung, Samsung is likely to have decision-making power over product features, and no one can hold the reins of the project. It's easy to get into a situation,' he said.

According to South Korean economic media SBS Biz , Samsung has postponed the production start plan of AR headset in response to the announcement of Apple's Vision Pro , so the AR headset jointly developed by Google and Samsung may not be announced until mid-2024. It is said that there is a sexuality. There is also a voice from within Google that 'there is not enough time to develop an AR device that will surprise the world,' and one employee said, 'It is clear that there is enough budget and room to approach Apple's Vision Pro. It's not in.'

Google has been actively developing in the AR field for more than 10 years, but AR hardware has not been released since Google Glass Enterprise Edition, which will completely end support in September 2023. Still, it was reported that Google was promoting ' Project Iris ' to develop ' AR glasses that can translate sentences in real time ' in January 2023, but this Project Iris was also canceled, and hardware It was reported in June 2023 that the company is also focusing on building software.

Report that Google returned the AR headset development project 'Project Iris' to a blank slate - GIGAZINE

In addition, Eddie Chan, senior product director who was involved in Project Iris, will leave Google in February 2023, and Mark Lukowski, Google's head of AR software, will leave Google in July 2023. , It is also a big problem that AR-related human resources that have been invested and cultivated over many years are leaving Google. It seems that the AR-related technology that Google has developed so far will be put into practical use and the plan to go out to the world will be greatly hindered.

Still, Google has not completely given up on the development of AR glasses, and Google is exploring ways to use AI in AR glasses, so Project Iris software is a monocular AR glass development project 'Betty' It seems that they are thinking about incorporating it into the binocular AR glass development project 'Barry'.