Apple has been working on VR/AR products for ages. In the coming years, not only the Cupertino-based company but also other tech giants will release tons of products for this niche. In this sense, Amazon is going to be the next big tech company to get into augmented reality. According to various reports, Amazon is actively hiring for a “new-to-world smart-home product” that uses “XR” technology in some fashion.
The assumptions are based on the job descriptions. So there are not many details concerning the products. But still, we can get some worthy information about the upcoming Amazon VR/AR products. For instance, Amazon is looking for a “software engineer — XR/AR, XR/AR Devices”. The job description includes “conceiving and developing key software and architecture for a new-to-world smart-home product.” Also, it reads that the role is on a “new cross-functional team.” There is another post, according to which Amazon looks for a “Sr. Technical Program Manager, New Products — XR”. The job description describes how “you will develop an advanced XR research concept into a magical and useful new-to-world consumer product.”
The mentioned two and many other job listings include the following preferred qualifications: “experience building deeply technical products, e.g., AI/ML, robotics, games.”
Not only Amazon
Well, as said, Amazon and Apple are not the only companies dipping their toes into AR / VR devices. When saying this, we should recall Facebook, which has been transformed into Meta recently. Moreover, this company has already started making the Quest headset and smart glasses in partnership with Ray-Ban. Facebook has announced the first products from this category will hit the stores in 2024. Other than that, Apple’s much-talked AR / VR headset may come in 2023. Google will bring its first AR headset in 2024. Snapchat already announced its true AR glasses in May 2021. Finally, Microsoft has been selling the HoloLens for years.
However, Amazon VR/AR devices could become a game-changer. We mean it has one of the largest users database related to shopping. Just imagine what would happen, when an Amazon VR/AR headset is connected to other Alexa-enabled devices. We mean the virtual supermarket will turn into reality changing the shopping culture and rules.
Lastly, Amazon is actively working on other life-changing projects as well. Probably, the most buzzed project coming our way from Amazon is the home robot dubbed Astro. But it’s naïve to think that Amazon will stop on this.