Google has traditionally chosen to develop the ideas and software that power the products of other companies, but it’s been expanding its hardware offerings significantly in recent months. Assuming that’s going to become a trend, it’s not all that surprising to hear rumors that Google wants to take a more active role in the emerging virtual reality market with its own headset, rather than allowing other companies to use its Cardboard platform. This is according to a report from The Financial Times, which claims that Google is working on a Nexus-like virtual reality headset that it plans to release some time in September.
It looks like Google Cardboard is just the beginning of the company’s virtual reality push. A new report from The Financial Times indicates that Google is planning to release a more substantial virtual reality product akin to Samsung’s Gear VR. In addition to a new plastic casing, it’s said that the headset will support a far wider range of smartphones than the Gear VR. Sources also tell the paper that it will feature “better sensors” and “lenses,” suggesting that it won’t be wholly reliant on the equipment built into your smartphone. The report mentions that “most of its processing power” would come from the smartphone. Google Cardboard, which has been around for over a year and a half, provides two plastic lenses and just holds your smartphone in the right position to function as a VR device. Google’s annual developer conference, I/O, would be a natural place for the company to unveil the new hardware. According to The Financial Times, the hardware could be another Nexus-style product designed to set a target and lay the template for Google’s hardware partners. The hardware itself could arrive in September, it’s reported.
