So 2014 has definitely been the year of the watch…the smartwatch to be accurate. So does this mean 2015 will be the year of the VR (Virtual reality) unit? I know what you are thinking… “No” and maybe you are right but wasn’t this what we were all thinking this time last year about smartwatches? Either way, whether it is a success or failure (as an industry) VR units seem to be coming thick and thin recently. There is no doubt that Samsung currently lead the market in VR (before you say it excluding Oculus) with their highly anticipated Samsung Gear VR due to hit the market very soon. However, this unit comes with a number of caveats which could mean its demise. Most notably is the fact that it is currently only compatible with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. So those who do not want to spend a bomb on the Samsung flagship device will have no reason to buy the Gear VR. Another reason touted for the possible failure of Gear VR is the price. Although this has not been confirmed by Samsung it is now highly rumoured (and expected to be honest) that the Gear VR will cost roughly $200.
When you factor that you have to buy a Galaxy Note 4 and also spend another $200 to get the Gear VR, price could be the detrimental issue for the technology. At least from Samsung’s perspective. However for the industry as a whole this might not be the case. Last week we saw the launch of the Carl Zeiss VR One headset which as the name suggests is a VR headset. However in contrast to the Gear VR this one is priced at a much more reasonable $100. More importantly it does not need the Note 4 to function. Still too much? OK, I hear you.
Well, in that case, drumroll please….Introducing the ‘Archos VR Glasses’. This little puppy is again as the name suggests a VR unit. However, the price tag on this one is expected to be £25 which equates to a tidy $40. Yep, this is certainly going to be a more reasonably priced VR unit. So you want to know more? Well, unfortunately details are rather limited at the moment although it is known that the Archos VR (like the others) will work with your smartphone. Are there any pre-requisites? Well, yes there is one. Your smartphone does need to be between 5″ and 6″ in size to fit. Other than that the only other information we have at the moment is the device is expected to launch sometime in November. Of course, if $40 is too much then you can always make your own with Google’s Cardboard.