It’s important to note that Google isn’t replacing Chrome OS with Android; Chrome OS as you know it is going nowhere, and everything you get from it now will remain.
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To make Daydream work, Google’s VR program had to create a pretty strict list of requirements for manufacturers to qualify for Daydream.
Contrary to earlier reports, it looks like Google plans to sell its own Daydream headset and Bluetooth controller, through a manufacturing partnership, similar to how the company now develops its Nexus line of devices.
Speaking of Android N, Google says it’s getting a huge update when it’s released next year. Gartner analyst Brian Blau says he believes the Daydream-powered devices could prove to be a “thorn in the side” of both Samsung and Oculus, which teamed up to make a similar VR headset, called Gear VR, late previous year.
Android N will include system support for low-latency, as well as a VR system UI, which will help avoid the problem with smartphone-based VR today, where you need to keep going back and forth between VR apps and the Android UI on the phone screen.
Third party developers will obviously be the lifeblood of any VR system, and Bavor mentioned that apps and games for Daydream VR area already in the works.
Xiaomi established its lab in 2016.
While the company defied some expectations that it would be showing off a standalone VR headset (it didn’t) Google showed the audience in its keynote that the future of Android VR is on the way – and it’s very Android. Apps will be running on the latest version of Android, with the latest security patches, so users can ensure that their apps will stay secure, Liu said.
Google says apps will be able to run in portrait, landscape, or maximized views.
Along with the high-end handsets there’ll be a higher-end headset – in comparison to the existing, entry-level Google Cardboard caddy that’s available for US$20 (RM80).
Allo features a smart reply mode that offers template replies based on the content of messages you receive, even doing so for photos as the app can “read” images as well as text.
There’s no word yet on what Google’s headset and controller will cost. Some of the heavy hitters will be Google Play Movies, where you’ll be able to watch TV and movies in a virtual 3D movie theater.
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But you’ll need something far more sophisticated to unlock the true power of VR. It was a beta test of sorts, not just for the product itself, but to get a feeling of the public’s reception to virtual reality in the mobile space before launching its tethered flagship product, the Oculus Rift. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
