Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 platform unveiled, designed for AR2 glasses and others

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In our experience, Augment Reality (AR) was a feature that smartphones tried to ride on a few years ago, but the technology just wasn't there yet or there was a lack of content. However, that could change with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 Platform for its new AR glasses. 

From the cover image above, the Snapdragon AR2 is a new pair of AR glasses and Qualcomm managed to build a multi-chip distributed processing architecture combined with customized IP blocks. The main processor occupies a 40% smaller PCB area on glass and the overall platform delivers 2.5x better AI performance while consuming 50% less power to help achieve AR glasses that consume <1W power.

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Using a multi-chip architecture that includes an AR processor, AR co-processor and connectivity platform, the Snapdragon AR2 can distribute the processing of latency-sensitive perception data directly on the glasses and off loads more complex data processing requirements to a Snapdragon-powered smartphone, PC or to other compatible host devices.

To complement that, the connectivity platform utilizes Qualcomm FastConnect 7800 connectivity system for WiFi 7 technology that reaches <2ms latency. The AR co-processor also aggregates camera and sensor data and enables eye tracking and iris authentication for foveated rendering, to optimize workloads only where the user is looking.

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Microsoft worked closely with Qualcomm on the platform requirements for Snapdragon AR2 to unlock new possibilities in AR experiences. To add to that, other OEMs and brands are also interested in using the Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 platform. This includes Lenovo, LG, Niantic, nreal, OPPO, PICO, QONOQ, Rokid, SHARP, TCL, Vuzix and Xiaomi. On the other hand, HONOR, Motorola, Nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, REDMAGIC, SHARP, vivo, Xiaomi and ZTE are also interested in bringing AR technology to their smartphones. 

To read the summary of the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, you can read our news coverage here. For more information, you can visit the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 webpage or check out the livestream replays at the Snapdragon Summit Event Hub