The XR industry is ever-evolving. It’s easy to forget that many long-awaited and value movements took place in the market over the past few months.
For one, Vision Pro debuted in the US and rolled out internationally within a few months. Meta Ray Ban’s second generation device debuted, and the firm also went ‘open source’ according to its CEO, and the Horizon Metaverse reached new international users.
On the other hand, Samsung is set to make a major splash in the XR space. With all this news coming in fast every month, enterprise adoption journeys are changing constantly, for better or worse.
From new hardware considerations, security measures, data management, and far more, navigating these tides is tough, and to discuss this variety of new technology, trends, brands, and more, XR Today spoke with Cam Stevens, CEO and Lead Consultant at Pocketknife Group, Letitia Bochud, Director of Virtual Switzerland and Chair of the Board of Directors, XR4Europe, and Jennifer Rogers, Executive Officer, Learning Technology Standards Committee at the IEEE as part of XR Today’s monthly news show.
Apple Vision Pro Rolls out in Australia
Cam stated that Apple is engaging deeply with Australian audiences. The area shows a lot of consumer interest. However, there are not many conversations on Vision Pro in enterprise currently, with HTC VIVE and Pico leading the race in the region.
Stevens noted:
Obviously, the Vision Pro launched in Australia on Friday, July 12th, and there was a bit of buzz going on. I was out in front of the store in my hometown of Perth, which is not exactly the biggest city in the world, and there were lines around the corner, people wanting to check it out.
Stevens also noted that Apple is taking a “very hands-on approach,” whereby Australian audiences book an appointment that Stevens calls “an opportunity to really learn” about the Vision Pro. He also added, “You get fitted with the correct face mask. There are 28 different options. You’re given that option when you’re in the store, so that whole experience is really quite cool.”
According to Stevens, the Apple approach is “far more consumer-driven” compared to other headset vendors, “even though there’s the Apple enterprise solution team that sits behind that,”
Stevens explained:
I’m aware that there have been early briefings with key enterprise accounts in the background. As you’d imagine, with any major technology rollout, these things are going to happen, but because it’s so new, I haven’t personally seen any enterprise discussions about people utilising the technology in the enterprise yet. We are literally less than a week in. So, I’m certainly interested to see how that plays out.
Apple Vision Pro Debuts in EU
Bochud notes that Vision Pro is less aggressively pushed in the EU and, therefore, getting less traction, “It’s not been picking up as strongly as in the rest of the world,” she remarked.
Bochud added
Salespeople in Europe are less aggressive, and it’s very fragmented. So it’s per market and it’s not being tackled as a whole market but as regional parts; UK, Germany, etc.
Speaking on other headset vendors in the EU – which Apple must dethrone – Bochud explained that “Meta is still very strong in Europe, so we’re expecting our eyes a bit more there,” which Bochurd also notes adds to a “slow adoption process” for Vision Pro.
Moreover, Laetitia notes that Meta is “leading” in the EU. Groups like the WEF use Meta hardware in its virtual Metaverse village, and despite a strong presence in Australia, Bochud said that in the EU, Pico is being actively avoided due to Chinese government ties – explaining:
Even the World Economic Forum is running there global village on Meta. That was a surprise for me. People [in the EU] have a bias towards Pico because of their Chinese link.
How is Vision Pro Doing in the US?
Rogers notes that Vision Pro is continuing to grow in the US; however, due to “limitations” relating to global expansion and scalability on Apple’s side, and from enterprise procurement and IT departments, enterprise movement is slow.
But interest remains, according to Rogers, who said:
Now that we’re starting to see a more global rollout as well as that enterprise capability. Now, we’re in a situation in which enterprises are starting to understand a little bit more about the possibilities associated with actually taking this product and putting it on a global scale. Certainly some of the concerns that I’ve heard prior to this point in time are a lot around that.
Rogers noted that US enterprise clients are “certainly starting to talk about [Vision Pro]-Is now the time to explore this beyond a design lab or innovation lab? What would this look like in terms of application in the wild and in the enterprise?”
However, Rogers noted that currently, “Vision Pro is not leaving experimental usage in the US enterprise space.”
Is Samsung’s XR Headset the Ultimate Ecosystem Play?
Stevens notes that Samsung’s combined hardware ecosystem can prove to be an incredible opportunity for the upcoming headset. Noting how the Galaxy ring also debuted at the same time at MWC earlier this year, alongside the upcoming headset.
Stevens added:
What I think is really interesting is that the Galaxy Ring was launched at this same event, and eing able to leverage the Galaxy ring to be able to interface with the [XR] device rather than two controllers where both your hands.
Combined, Samsung’s upcoming technologies and its famed Galaxy smartphone ecosystem create a “portfolio,” which can help Samsung in terms of scaling adoption and use cases.
Stevens explained:
Each part is part of the puzzle, and each part has a use case to play and to extend users to spatial from those traditional interfaces or more recent interfaces. They’ll be using the Galaxy watch, the Galaxy ring, the phones, and the XR device. It’s just an extension to get spatial, and who knows what will happen next?
Stevens called the move “an ecosystem play.” Apple is also leveraging this approach: ” What makes Apple Vision Pro so special is the fact that you can create content with the LIDAR capability, the stereoscopic video, and photo capability of the iPhone, which immediately enables you to create content that can then be paired.”
He also added:
The accessibility options and scaffolding around how you interface with an Apple product are seen throughout the entire suite of Apple solutions. How you interface with [iPhone] glass is how you interface with pinching and pulling around on the Apple Vision Pro interface. So, the scaffolding that you get is an enterprise scaffolding and user interface that is being leveraged here.
Will Open-Device Ecosystems Rule?
Laetitia notes how Android is number one in the EU, therefore assisting with scalability from Samsung’s headset.
Bochud explained, “Android is still the number one in the market, at least in Europe, not in Switzerland per se.” This could present an alternative to Apple walled gardens due to Samsung’s involvement in leveraging Android OS platforms.
Also, Bochud notes the influence of Samsung in this space could be vast, because “Android is so huge.”
Moreover, the firm’s substantial investment in South Korean entertainment industries can help push the company forward; “South Korea being such a strong market for novelty and enterprise robotics, it might be something that could really trigger some interest,” she added.
New Headsets: Utilising Open Standards and data
Rogers notes the importance of a potential open ecosystem from Samsung, allowing for secure data sharing across apps, services, and hardware. Noting a closed ecosystem may hold other players back.
Rogers said:
I can’t help but mention my excitement around this from an ecosystem perspective due to the nature of the players and the traditional viewpoints around open infrastructure and the ways in which we utilise open standards as part of the ecosystem, so I’m very encouraged by this development.
“It is a great step forward,” remarked Rogers, who also added that it is “a great step for enterprises and consumers” thanks to new players coming to the space “who know how to do open ecosystems” and potentially ensure that XR content is transferable across different devices, different environments and that “data that may be advantageous to them.”
The Broader Samsung Electronic Brand and Enterprise Potential
While the Samsung brand and XR headset may easily focus on consumer use, Stevens notes, “it will be interesting to see how they choose to go to market within the broader Samsung Electronics brand.”
Stevens explained:
I’m not 100 percent sure how Samsung set up as a company, but there’s Samsung Heavy Industries, for example, who make oil and gas facilities. Apple is obviously far more consumer-focused, and all Apple products are designed to improve the human experience regardless of whether it’s at work or not. It’ll be really interesting to see.
Moreover, Stevens highlighted Samsung’s work in mobility and healthcare, combined with cybersecurity data privacy and protection with its SHIELD framework, creates “lots of opportunity.”
Rogers also added :
When you think about some of these complex industries that have a heavy spatial component and or intend to have a heavy spatial component, the data sources that would need to come in and out of this type of setup are from different sources. That’s where when we get into a situation where we are dealing with a closed ecosystem whereby we might want to be moving data into other business applications it becomes very difficult. With an [open] ecosystem it allows for that kind of flexibility and experience.
Can Meta Compete with Samsung/Apple Device Ecosystems
While Meta is leading the consumer XR market, it doesn’t have a broad hardware ecosystem. While its social media umbrella is vast and powerful, its lack of enterprise-ready devices could hold the firm back. “Meta doesn’t have a hardware ecosystem number 1, but they’ve got a reputation. Unfortunately, in enterprises, they have a reputation whether you like it or not,” Stevens added.
Meta’s reputation in enterprise sectors is not as strong as other firms, but the company is pushing it. Moreover, with investments into Horizon OS and Llama, Meta may reposition its reputation in due time.
Stevens explained:
Having said that, maybe what breaks down that reputation might be things like the Llama LLM that’s performing quite nicely. Where people are using Llama over Gemini or over CoPilot/OpenAI, large language models. Maybe Llama is what will break through as being that enterprise player that connects people. At least in Australia, a lot of people moved to HTC and PICO and that was because Meta was just not able to have the same reputation.
Purely from an enterprise perspective, Stevens believes “Meta has work to do, and my prediction is that stuff like the Lama, a large language model, will potentially be the breakthrough into the enterprise.”
On the other hand, Rogers explained that a key factor in headset adoption is the accessibility of hardware, which stems from price points.
Rogers explained:
We expect those price plans to continue to come down to a point where this is not so much of a challenge, but as we see it today, one of the strengths of Meta’s offering is the low price point on the devices. Yes, the hardware is more accessible. There are many other challenges around trust, such as being able to deploy and scale safely, data privacy, and stewardship. So until we can get past that, from an enterprise perspective, there is still a lot of scepticism around Meta.
What is the Future of VR Headsets?
Cam noted that end users are starting to understand where XR hardware can assist with workflows instead of building unneeded or gimmicky use cases. This is particularly important at this time when smart glasses are expected to overtake VR headsets in terms of adoption.
Stevens added:
This is very much a case of different devices and form factors that will be needed for different use cases. More people, particularly in enterprise, know and understand what type of form factor would be appropriate for the flow of work. Which type of form factor would be used for knowledge transfer for collaboration. It’s just the same as when we went from a laptop to a tablet or to a phone. We weren’t saying you should be doing heavy word processing on a phone; it’s technically possible, but it’s not the right form factor for that-We’re not going to get rid of any of them.
Therefore, the future of VR headsets could really depend on individuals and groups putting the devices in the correct use cases and business scenarios. Rogers noted that AR is gaining “more and more traction.”
Rogers said:
I think we will absolutely continue to see that, particularly from an enterprise perspective, we’re connecting people, processes, and equipment in real-time and giving insights into how we can make all of those pieces work better together. That makes no sense if I’m dropping you in a headset where you can’t actually see the things around you in the real world. It’s logical and natural for us to see a little bit of a shift in this space. People are starting to figure out what VR is really good for and what AR is really good for.
Despite positive prospects for smart glasses and perhaps a VR headset overtake, Rogers noted that each technology has a “valid place in this scenario and in the ecosystem.” She also added, “I think the market is maybe starting to understand the delineation between those things a little bit better.”
New Industries Leveraging XR Devices
Bochud noted that XR devices are gaining traction in the enterprise: ” What I’ve been witnessing is really dependent on trade and industries like architecture and engineering. Construction has already been very keen on the HoloLens.”
Bochud also added:
In a few years, and what I’m excited about, is the collaborative aspect that might come to MR because when we get there that might be really a huge adoption criteria because you’re in your real life.
Rogers also explained that there are great opportunities for XR in construction and heavy industry. However, headsets need to become more usable in outdoor spaces.
She explained:
The accessibility issue is associated with that hardware because it is needs to recognised and zone rated. [Doing] all of those things it’s also a lot more expensive. Unfortunately, a lot of our colleagues that are working in those types of environents don’t necessarily have the funds for those devices to be accessible. It’s that push and pull phase with regard to hardware and the accessibility aspects.
In closing, Rogers expressed her enthusiasm towards seeing “more people to access some of these things that can really make a significant difference, not only in their safety as they do their work, but also in their ability to build future skills, to continue to grow and have additional opportunity as a result.”
