Samsung Electronics will release an extended reality (XR) device for developers next year.
The strategy is to create a Samsung-centered XR ecosystem in which various companies and institutions such as metaverse, software (SW), content, and parts, may participate. It is expected to have a competition between Samsung and Apple as Apple is also expecting to release an XR device in the new year.
Samsung Electronics is developing XR devices by forming a task force (TF) with affiliates such as Samsung Display and Samsung Electro-Mechanics, and key suppliers for primary parts. It is also partly collaborating with Chinese companies for supplies and joint development. Samsung Electronics completed several prototypes, and tested samples.
Samsung XR starts by disclosing the software development kit (SDK), and supporting the development of various XR contents and software. Samsung Electronics promotes business partnerships with several global companies. It plans to speed up the popularizing XR by discovering 'killer contents' using Samsung XR in various fields such as entertainment, education, medical care, and national defense.
It is uncommon for a company to first launch a new product for business-to-business (B2B) transactions. This is a conservative strategy to create a market by establishing an ecosystem rather than hastily launching products to preoccupy the market. Mass-market products requiring enormous marketing costs also had an impact. There was a time when virtual reality (VR) device was introduced, but was discontinued without a market response. Another factor was a declining growth of the information technology (IT) device market due to the global economic downturn.
Samsung Electronics is following Apple's moves closely. Apple plans to release an XR device next year. The industry believes that Apple will first launch a professional XR device to target a niche market. The expected cost is more than KRW 2 million.
By Staff Reporter So-ra Park (srpark@etnews.com)