Samsung AR glasses concept videos look very ambitious

Every major tech company except Google might be working on some AR headset or another. While Google may have dropped the ball, rumors about Apple's own AR glasses refuse to die. Naturally, Samsung won't be left behind, at least not for long. It has, after all, already dabbled in virtual reality and it might be looking into jumping into augmented reality if these leaked concept videos indicate the company's future vision for such wearables.

The first video entitled "Samsung Glasses Lite" is perhaps more realistic in expectations and execution. The glasses themselves are considerably larger than the largest ordinary spectacles but are still significantly smaller than any AR glasses currently available. The input for this eyewear mostly comes from a smartphone, a smartwatch, a keyboard, and even a drone remote.

Additionally, the glasses may be new but the interfaces and experiences are ones we already have today, including Samsung DeX's Android desktop experience. This may have a better chance of being implemented sooner rather than later because of that.

In contrast, the "Next Wearable Computing" video is a bit more forward-looking, with glasses that are only slightly larger than non-AR glasses. More interesting, however, are the holographic visuals, including a virtual keyboard and virtual people. And, of course, there's the all too familiar "Minority Report" hand gesture control.

and..... this is the 3D holographic version https://t.co/PXDAHjDNWb

— WalkingCat (@_h0x0d_) February 21, 2021

It will definitely be a big jump from VR to this kind of AR experience and but there's little doubt Samsung has the resources to make it possible. The bigger question, as always, is whether it will remain committed to such a platform if it does launch one and, given the fate of the Gear VR system and HMD Odyssey, that is less certain.