Google had canceled and revived the augmented reality (AR) project codenamed “Iris” many times. While the company continues its ebb and flow relationship with the “extended reality” (XR) field, it also continues its connection with AR. The AR agreement with Magic Leap also concretely shows Google's desire.
Magic Leap announced that it has established a strategic partnership with Google in a statement on its official blog. According to the post, the partnership will combine Magic Leap's AR expertise and optical leadership with Google's technology platforms.
Shahram Izadi, Google's vice president of AR and XR, said: “We look forward to bringing Magic Leap's leadership in optics and manufacturing together with our technologies to bring a wider range of immersive experiences to the market. “By combining our efforts, we can support the future of the XR ecosystem with unique and innovative product offerings.”
Although Google has shelved plans to build its own AR hardware, the company is working on building a “micro XR” platform. This platform is said to be designed for AR glasses. The software giant plans to license it to manufacturers, like its mobile operating system.
Google also works with Samsung
It was known that Google was working with Samsung to develop a platform for its upcoming XR products. According to Reuters, the Magic Leap partnership appears to have no impact on Google's collaboration with Samsung.
Earlier in the year, Google announced in a media briefing that Samsung's XR device would not be unveiled at I/O. It is considered certain that a separate event will be held to promote the device.