🇨🇳 China's Metaverse Industry Alliance

Good morning!

Just like last week, there is important news once again emerging from China. Don't miss out on this significant update and more. Dive into the latest news to discover why it's crucial!

Today’s topics:

• 🤝 China's Metaverse Industry Alliance

• ⌛ Samsung's XR Headset Release Delayed

• 👀 Threads App Hits 30 Million Users

Reading time: 5min

🤝 China's Metaverse Industry Alliance

Chinese metaverse alliance, assembled! 🇨🇳🌐🤝 Over the week, China Mobile (country’s largest wireless carier with over 940 million subscribers) formed the 'China Mobile Metaverse Industry Alliance' with tech giants like Huawei, Xiaomi, HTC Vive, Unity China, and more.

What are they planning to do?

• The ultimate goal is to advance metaverse development in China through collaboration. 🎯

• Objectives include sharing resources, fostering a "win-win concept" for the digital economy, and supporting metaverse projects and XR content creation through a member alliance fund. 🤝

• China Mobile previously partnered with HTC to boost 5G infrastructure and VR devices in China. 🔗

• Migu, China Mobile's streaming content subsidiary, already established a 'Metaverse Headquarters' in Xiamen, China with the aim of transform the city into a modern and digitally intelligent hub using 5G and XR technologies. 🌃

As we have witnessed last week, China continues to make substantial investments in the metaverse and shows no signs of slowing down its efforts in building metaverse infrastructure. China Mobile's metaverse initiatives provide opportunities for trillions of yuan (hundereds of billions of dollars) and contribute to the construction of a digital China and thriving digital economy. 💰🏗️📈

If you want to learn more, read more here.

⌛ Samsung's XR Headset Release Delayed

Samsung's XR headset, ready to challenge Apple Vision Pro, has hit a roadblock. 🚫 The release is getting a "time-out" of "one to two quarters" from its anticipated early 2024 launch, as spilled by SBS Biz.

Let's dive into the details of this delay!

• Samsung's XR headset, developed alongside Qualcomm and Google, is encountering a delay in the release of its "existing XR devices." 🔧

• The delay, reportedly in response to Apple Vision Pro, allows Samsung to review internal specifications and performance, including design and display. 🔍

• Samsung aimed to have headset samples ready by year-end, but the timeline has been pushed back by approximately three to six months.🗓️

• Samsung appears to be targeting the high-end market 🎯, aligning itself with Apple's premium XR headset, rather than competing with Meta's Quest 3 mixed reality headset.

If the report holds true, it will be intriguing to witness Samsung targeting the high-end market 💰, where Apple's $3,500 mixed reality headset is headed. Rather than competing with Meta's Quest 3 mixed reality headset, set to launch in Fall 2023 for $500, Samsung seems to be aligning itself with Apple in the premium XR headset market, bringing the long-lasting rivalry between the companies even into this developing industry. 🏋️‍♂️

👀 Threads App Hits 30 Million Users

Already thirty million users have signed up for Meta's newly launched Threads app on its first day 🚀📱. The text-based app resembles Twitter in appearance and functionality, offering a platform for real-time updates, public conversations, and open social networking.

But why is this news important for the future of the metaverse?

• Decentralized Social Networking 🌐🔗: Threads incorporates the ActivityPub protocol, allowing for interoperability with other apps and platforms. This decentralized approach aligns with the vision of an interconnected metaverse, where users can follow and interact with people on Threads and other compatible apps, promoting a diverse and expansive digital ecosystem.

• Open Social Networking Protocol 🔄📲: The integration of ActivityPub in Threads enables content transfer between different services and apps. This interoperability supports the growth of a broader metaverse ecosystem, where users can seamlessly navigate and connect with diverse platforms, expanding the scope and reach of the virtual experience.

Even if this event does not directly touch the metaverse, it will play a vital role in reshaping how people perceive social media. Just as users can access their emails from different providers like Gmail, Outlook, or others through a single email client, the integration of ActivityPub in social media platforms would enable a similar experience. 📧

Users would have the freedom to access and engage with content across various social media platforms, utilizing different apps based on their preferences. This is quite relevant if we talk the concept of a decentralized metaverse, that would interconnect various virtual spaces from different companies/people in one single domain. Ultimately, it represents a paradigm shift towards a more open and inclusive digital landscape 🌍🌈.