Chinese technology firm Lenovo is making a serious pitch for a big slice of the augmented reality headset market through the launch of its ThinkReality A6 glasses.
The new headset, the latest under the company’s ThinkReality brand, has been called “small but mighty” by Lenovo, with the headset weighing around 380g (0.83lbs). The weight has been reduced by having the battery worn separately to the main unit.
The headset comes with a 40-degree diagonal field of view with 1080p resolution per eye in a 16:9 aspect ratio. The visuals are powered by an onboard Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SOC. The device has two fisheye cameras on the front, as well as depth sensors and a 13-megapixel RGB sensor, plus an in-built microphone. One of the important features is that the headset can detect where the user is gazing to optimize resolution or navigation. The headset works over Wi-Fi but not 4G or 5G.
The device has an ecosystem that is capable of integrating with existing enterprise systems. Lenovo have said the ThinkReality A6 is compatible with existing augmented reality content, and it offers highly functional device management software. In terms of the operating system, this is Snapdragon 845 CPU running an Android-based platform, plus an Intel Movidius chipset with wave guide optics from Lumus.
Part of Lenovo’s strategy is to capture the growing business interest in augmented reality. This includes providing services for remote working. Lenovo’s strategy, according to Computer Business Review, includes developing hardware, software and services aimed at the 2.7 billion deskless workers globally,
The cost of the new headset has yet to be confirmed, although aim is for the price to be competitive and to be able to compete with rival products, like Microsoft’s HoloLens 2, which retails around $3,500.
