Lenovo’s upcoming virtual reality headset will be advertised as the “Mirage Solo with Daydream,” as revealed by newly uncovered certificated published by the United States Federal Communications Commission. The Chinese original equipment manufacturer was granted the necessary approvals to commercialize the headset in the U.S. and will presumably be looking to release it in the country in the first half of 2018. The name “Mirage” has already been rumored since mid-August when the tech giant filed to protect it with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
According to the newly unveiled FCC-issued certificate, the version of the Mirage Solo intended for a stateside release will bear the model number VR-1541F. The device should ship with wired earphones featuring a 0.5m cable identified as the CE-1601T. A controller labeled as the CE-1601T should also be part of the package, the listing suggests. All units of the headset will come with support for Bluetooth 5.0, the latest evolution of the popular wireless standard that’s been adopted by a wide variety of phone makers over the course of this year. The standalone head-mounted display will be equipped with a 4,000mAh battery and charge over an unspecified USB cable, according to the same source. The federal regulator didn’t reveal any other hardware details about the Mirage Solo, though the gadget is expected to at the very least feature the Snapdragon 835. Besides Lenovo’s own hardware, the headset will take advantage of third-party memory chips made by either Toshiba or Samsung, depending on the market.
Lenovo’s standalone offering should be a significant addition to Google’s growing ecosystem that started in late 2016 with the smartphone-reliant Daydream VR headset. The Mountain View, California-based tech giant is now placing a larger focus on self-sufficient solutions as it continues its virtual reality push with investments in both hardware and content. The platform as a whole is still a relatively niche solution, with a number of consumer electronics manufacturers being reluctant to embrace it and others like HTC changing their minds after initially pledging support. Google is expected to share more details about its VR ambitions no later than spring and may already announce new projects in January at the latest iteration of the Consumer Electronics Show.