It seems like this year we will see a solid growth in the AR market with newer players joining the party. Intel is reportedly also looking to explore the field. Bloomberg reports that Intel has plans to sell a majority stake in its augmented reality business, which will start making smart glasses for consumers before the end of the year. The report also suggests that people close to the plans have been developing smart glasses which pair with a smartphone via bluetooth. The report further suggests that the company might be named 'Vaunt' and Intel is valuing it at $350 million and is looking for backers.
The new spectacles will use laser-based projection and display contextual information into the user’s field of view. The device might be made by Quanta Computers. The Taiwan-based manufacturing giant has production plants in China and has companies like Apple, Dell, HP, LG, Sony, Amazon, Lenovo, to name a few, on the client list.
The new company will reportedly include former employees from Recon, the AR company Intel acquired back in 2015 and shut down last year. It has some 200 employees based in US, Israel, and Switzerland.
If the reports are true, Intel is not the only one dabbling in AR technology. Amazon is also looking to bring Alexa-powered smart glasses to the market. The said glasses will look similar to a pair of regular glasses and will use bone-conduction technology to hear Alexa without the need for earphones or conventional speaker.
Microsoft is also bringing its Mixed Reality-based headsets to other countries including India and Acer has already started selling its version of the headset in the country.