XR is the future of mobile computing. We are making mobile XR a reality.

Extended Reality (XR) is an umbrella term encapsulating Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), and everything in between. Although AR and VR offer a wide range of revolutionary experiences, the same underlying technologies are powering XR. Qualcomm’s vision for XR is sleek headsets that will transform everyday consumer experiences and many market verticals from industrial manufacturing and healthcare to education and retail.

Download the mobile future of XR presentation

Convergence: one device to rule them all.

At some point in the future, we envision the convergence of the smartphone, mobile VR headset, and AR glasses into a single XR wearable. XR could replace all the other screens in your life, like that big TV in your living room. Mobile XR has the potential to become one of the world’s most ubiquitous and disruptive computing platforms—similar to the smartphone today.

Boundless XR experiences.

Boundless XR creates immersive mobile XR experiences with photorealistic visuals by combining on-device processing, 5G, and edge cloud processing. We’re leading the XR and 5G ecosystem towards a split-rendering architecture that provides an efficient end-to-end solution.

Solving the key XR technology challenges ahead.

Achieving our vision of sleek, comfortable, and fashionable XR glasses that are immersive, intelligent, and always connected is extremely challenging. There are various technical problems that need to be solved for XR to reach mainstream adoption.

Display

XR needs a disruptive revolution in display technology to show richer visual content, and to switch seamlessly between real and virtual worlds. 

Common illumination

Making virtual objects in augmented worlds indistinguishable from real objects is a tremendous challenge, especially under diverse lighting conditions.

Power and thermal

Meeting the always-on, compute-intensive workloads of XR within the power and thermal constraints of sleek XR glasses is very challenging.

Connectivity

Seamless and ubiquitous connectivity to the internet and cloud services is required for XR to reach its full potential. 

Motion tracking

Intelligent on-device tracking of our head, hands, and eyes is required to interact intuitively with our XR glasses and create immersion. 

Accelerating the XR market.

We’re leading XR forward and are uniquely positioned to deliver superior mobile XR solutions at low power. We’re developing the foundational technology required for XR, such as immersive 3D graphics, computer vision, machine learning, intuitive security, and 5G technologies. And we’re working with the ecosystem and investing in leading XR companies—all in an effort to make our vision of XR a reality sooner.

Qualcomm Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Our technologies make immersive mobile experiences possible.

An icon representing a VR headset, a contributing tech to immersive XR

Virtual reality

See how our technologies are making fully immersive, seamless, mobile VR experiences a reality.

An icon representing augmented reality, with different shades representing a heads-up display.

Augmented reality

Read about our vision for the future of mobile AR, which enables endless possibilities in an augmented world.

An icon representing immersive technology, how it affects visual senses and surrounds the user with the experience.

Immersive technology

Discover how the three pillars of immersive technology work together to make immersive experiences on mobile devices feel as real as possible.

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Videos

Boundless XR with 5G

Mar 19, 2019

2:31

Webinar: Boundless Mobile XR Over 5G

Oct 26, 2018

59:55

Webinar - The Mobile Future of Extended Reality

May 14, 2018

57:25

Snapdragon 821 processor: powering the new ASUS ZenFone AR

Jan 4, 2017

1:05

Augmented Reality to Enhance Education in San Diego

Jun 7, 2013

3:26

MURALI: Engineer, R&D / Augmented Reality

Mar 8, 2012

1:36

The Future of Innovation: Steve Mollenkopf

Jan 20, 2012

1:53

CES Keynote Recap from Qualcomm's Paul Jacobs

Jan 12, 2012

4:05

CES 2012 Opening Keynote: Qualcomm Chairman and CEO Dr. Paul Jacobs

Jan 11, 2012

1:21:15

GA Tech: Qualcomm's Augmented Reality SDK

Nov 23, 2011

1:05

Qualcomm AR SDK Dominoes Sample App

Oct 6, 2011

1:07

Qualcomm AR SDK Virtual Buttons Sample App

Oct 6, 2011

0:51

Qualcomm AR SDK Multi Targets Sample App

Oct 6, 2011

0:48

Qualcomm AR SDK Frame Markers Sample App

Oct 6, 2011

1:03

Qualcomm AR SDK Image Target Sample App

Oct 6, 2011

0:46

Pixel Punch: Qualcomm's Augmented Reality SDK

Sep 16, 2011

1:16

Qualcomm's Augmented Reality at the Fleet Science Center - Balboa Park

Aug 11, 2011

1:43

Snapdragon Lab: Developing with the Qualcomm Augmented Reality SDK

Jul 26, 2011

21:08

Tutorial: Qualcomm's Augemented Reality SDK

Jul 25, 2011

31:11

Defiant Development: Qualcomm's Augmented Reality SDK

Jul 25, 2011

1:51

Developing with Qualcomm's Augmented Reality Platform

Jun 29, 2011

44:02

Qualcomm Augmented Reality Sample Apps

May 19, 2011

3:50

Qualcomm Augmented Reality Challenge Winners

Apr 12, 2011

2:21

Conversations with Paul – Live from MWC 2011

Mar 1, 2011

2:38

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots Test Mobile AR App

Feb 16, 2011

0:55

Winning App: Augmented Reality Developer Challenge 2010

Feb 15, 2011

0:37

Augmented Reality Developer Challenge 2010 Sizzle Reel

Feb 14, 2011

3:12

Imagine All the Possibilities with Augmented Reality

Jan 7, 2011

2:29

Documents

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