Motorola announces a first-of-its kind 5G wearable neckband
Motorola and Verizon have teamed up on what they hope will be a game-changing device. The unique 5G wearable neckband, announced today, is capable of delivering connectivity and power to alternative and virtual reality glasses.
The project was hinted at a few months ago. It turns out that this time there was substance behind the rumours.
As detailed by a blog post, Motorola’s device is a first-of-its-kind, FCC approved, 5G wearable. This is actually a collaborative project between the largest wireless carrier Verizon and Motorola’s corporate parent Lenovo. It consists of a Lenovo AR smart glasses with a Motorola touchpad neckband, and all of this is spearheaded by Verizon’s 5G ultra-wideband network.
Motorola’s wearable basically allows users to display content to “more immersive screens around them”. It will deliver high bandwidth, ultra-low latency connectivity and power devices such as ThinkReality A3 smart glasses in Verizon’s 5G network. Going forward, the idea is for this to power a multitude of AR/VR experiences. All of this means better portability, long-term lasting and higher quality user experiences.
Motorola’s neckband is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile edge computer platform. The wearable can be utilised in a full spectrum of work and play activities. For example a use case can be for sports training and spectator experiences. The wearable should also make VR theatres scalable. The blog post goes on to say that Verizon and Motorola are working on new AR and VR products and that these will be announced in the coming months.
Essential reading: Best fitness trackers and health gadgets
Wearable technology has progressed quite a bit over the past decade. However, AR and VR products are lagging behind smartwatches and fitness bands. That is all about to change and we are slowly entering a shift away from our wrists to other wearable form-factors. As mobile technology becomes less imposing smartphones are also expected to become a thing of the past. Rather than one, they will be replaced by dozens of smart devices including wearable screens.
Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!
