Motorola, a pioneering smartphone manufacturer owned by parent company Lenovo, has partnered with Verizon for a wearable device to deliver 5G extended reality (XR) technologies to consumers.
Shaped as a lightweight necklace, the innovative wearable will provide ultra-low latency 5G connectivity for virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VR/AR/MR) devices.
Motorola’s impressive neckband will facilitate on-the-fly 5G connections for users to receive high-quality immersive experiences in serviced areas, it explained in a blog post.
The new device will use Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network along with its mobile edge computing platform for “out of the box” immersive experiences, and will leverage Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile platform for “untethered, hands-free and boundless experiences,” the company explained.
Motorola and 312 Labs
The company’s partnership with Verizon and Lenovo comes after Motorola announced its 312 Labs facility for research and development (R&D) in November last year, which aims to explore new technologies for the Chinese-American firm following record revenue growth of 27 percent year-on-year.
The venture combines engineering, research, and design experts across the world to prototype and develop cutting-edge solutions for the mobile and XR market, namely after Lenovo pledged to double R&D investments over the next three years.
According to a press release, the company says it will look ahead to research emerging technologies such as the Metaverse, new mobiles, and advanced AR/VR technologies.
Jeff Snow, Product General Manager for Motorola, said in a statement,
“Motorola 312 Labs is focused on exploring new and developing opportunities in mobile technology, including innovative wearables and form factors. With this collaboration, we’re further strengthening our partnership with Verizon to solve new challenges in the industry and advance consumer and enterprise AR use cases”
Brian Mecum, Vice-President of Device Technology for Verizon, explained further, stating,
“Motorola’s wearable neckband and ultra-lightweight AR smart glasses leverage Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network and mobile edge compute platform, enabling us to deliver immersive technology in many fields, such as sports training and fan experiences, as well as making VR theaters scalable”
Both enterprises and consumers will benefit from the joint effort as it builds further use cases for XR technologies, leading to the expansion and interoperability of such ecosystems.
The announcement comes as Lenovo develops its world-class ThinkReality XR product lineup, leading to the launch of its A3, A6, and Mirage VR S3 head-mounted displays (HMDs), software development kit (SDK), and ThinkReality collaborative ecosystem.
To reach this target, Nathan Pettyjohn, Lenovo’s AR/VR Lead and President of the VR/AR Association and Immerse Global Summit, explained in a recent interview Lenovo would work with third-party internet service providers (ISPs), 5G telco operators, independent software vendors (ISVs), and others.
