Google pushes virtual reality harder with new phones from partners
Alphabet Inc's
Google quickened the pace of its push into virtual and augmented reality this
week as its hardware partners announced new devices featuring the company’s
technology at the CES electronics show in Las Vegas.Google has been trying to position the vast
network of smartphones running its Android operating system for virtual and
augmented reality, known as VR and AR, fields that many in the technology
industry say are poised to go mainstream after years of niche appeal.Chinese manufacturer Huawei Technologies Co [HWT.UL] announced
on Thursday that two of its phones will soon work with Daydream View, a VR
headset released last year by Google. Meanwhile, Taiwanese manufacturer AsusTek
Computer Inc announced that its ZenFone AR will support both Daydream and
Google’s Tango software for AR, in which computer-generated content is overlaid
on the real world.While the announcements expand the line-up of participating
phones, Google still has much to do to take its technology to the masses, said
analyst Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research, noting that Samsung Electronics Co, the
largest Android manufacturer, has yet to sign on.“Google’s ecosystem for both AR and VR is in the very early
days,” he said.As growth in the global smartphone market shows signs of
slowing, some manufacturers are voicing optimism that AR and VR will revive
consumer enthusiasm.“This is the next wave of technology that is really going to
get consumers excited about smartphones,” Erik Hermanson, Asus’s head of marketing
for mobile products, said at the show.But mainstream consumer interest in the technology remains
largely unproven. Apps might be expected to stimulate demand, but until
Google’s technology is available on a wider range of phones, it will be tough to
persuade developers to build for the platform, analysts said.“We are waiting for app developers to really use the platform
for what it’s for,” Amit Singh, a vice president for VR at Google, told
reporters.In addition to supporting Daydream, Huawei said that it is
exploring opportunities for Tango with Google. The Asus phone became the first
to support both technologies.Google has stressed that the programs do not overlap for now,
but by pursuing both, the company can position itself for success regardless of
whether AR or VR becomes a mainstream hit.“By having options for both, they can cover the full
potential market,” said analyst Bob O’Donnell of TECHnalysis Research.(Reporting by Julia Love; Editing by Bill Rigby)
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