Lenovo has a cloud-, device-, and platform-agnostic Augmented Reality (AR) headset or Smart Glasses. A leak has unearthed promotional materials for the Lenovo ThinkReality A3 AR headset which strongly suggests the company is in the final stages of production and testing.
Lenovo’s latest AR headset appears to have learned from the mistakes, follies, limitations, and missed opportunities of Facebook Oculus Quest 2, Microsoft HoloLens, and possibly other companies who are still designing their own, AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), or MR (Mixed reality) headsets. The AR headset is not only practical and simple to use but comes with a large belt-mountable battery-pack which is swappable.
Is Lenovo AR headset ready for commercial release?
A leak offers one of the best views yet of the as-yet-unreleased Lenovo ThinkReality A3 AR Smart Glasses. Lenovo announced the headset way back in 2019. Back then, the company announced ThinkReality A6 augmented reality headset.
However, instead of the A6, the company is releasing the A3, which appears to be a slightly older model. The ThinkReality A3 Smart Glasses does have all the bells and whistles as the teased A6 headset but seems to pack a little dated hardware.
— WalkingCat (@_h0x0d_) January 8, 2021
According to the leak, Lenovo assures the ThinkReality A3 AR Smart Glasses is platform-agnostic. This means companies and enterprises can quickly and easily plug-in these new AR headsets and get them working.
Lenovo reportedly claims the software for the AR headset is designed for enterprise-based applications. The company seems to offer turn-key certified solutions for vital AR applications such as Remote Assistance; Guided Workflow and Training; Remote Data Visualization and Design Collaboration.
Lenovo ThinkReality A3 AR headset specifications and features:
The ThinkReality A3 AR Smart Glasses appears a little less complex and less bulky than the Microsoft HoloLens. This is because the headset doesn’t have an integrated or embedded battery pack.
The ThinkReality A3 draws power from a large belt-worn battery. This means users need not take off the headset whenever it runs out of juice.
Users can simply swap out the drained battery for a fully-charged spare and continue working. It is quite likely that Lenovo could sell not just additional battery packs but also charging cradles that can charge multiple battery packs simultaneously and safely.
— WalkingCat (@_h0x0d_) January 8, 2021
Coming to the optics of the Lenovo ThinkReality A3 AR Smart Glasses, the leak claims it offers integrated stereoscopic displays at 1080p. This allows the wearer a view of up to 5 virtual displays.
The AR headset has an 8MP RGB camera that captures video up to 1080p resolution. This would obviously benefit remote management of use cases. Moreover, there are two fisheye cameras that enable room-scale tracking technology.
The Lenovo ThinkReality A3 apparently connects to any PC or Motorola smartphone. The Android smartphone, however, must have a powerful chipset, preferably one of the top-end ones from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 and later series.
These new and powerful chipsets have DisplayPort functionality. The Lenovo ThinkReality A3 AR Smart Glasses can connect via a USB Type-C Cable for full functionality.
Perhaps the only aspect that Lenovo has apparently skimped out on is the heart of the AR headset. The company has embedded the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1.
The Snapdragon XR1 is certainly optimized for AR and VR platforms. Moreover, it offers high customization with optional industrial frames for added safety and durability. However, Facebook has embedded the second-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chipset in the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset.