Google has recently announced its plan to acquire a segment of HTC’s extended reality (XR) unit for $250 million. This move follows their 2017 acquisition of part of HTC’s smartphone business, which added approximately 4,000 HTC staff to Google’s team. This new acquisition aims to accelerate the development of the Android XR platform, expanding innovations across headsets and glasses.
Google has emphasized its long-term investment in XR, highlighting the partnership with Samsung in creating the Android XR platform. The platform integrates advancements in artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality. It strives to deliver enriching experiences through wearable devices. “Android XR is designed to be an open, unified platform for XR headsets and glasses,” stated Google. This approach enables users to explore a variety of devices and enjoy their favorite apps seamlessly. Developers can leverage this standardized platform to build applications for diverse devices using familiar Android tools.
The collaboration between Google and Samsung is also reflected in their role as early partners for Qualcomm’s XR2+ Gen 2 silicon platforms, unveiled before CES 2024. This partnership signifies Google’s commitment to the advancement of extended reality technologies.
HTC’s VP and general counsel, Lu Chia-te, noted that the agreement with Google includes non-exclusive IP rights. This decision allows HTC the flexibility to utilize and further develop its technology.
