It’s only been a year since the release of the consumer version of the Gear VR, but it looks like Samsung and Oculus already have plans to release a successor.
Galaxy Club, a Dutch language Samsung rumours website, uncovered a listing on an Indian imports database that highlights a new model number (SM-R323) for the Gear VR. According to Tech Crunch, this number falls after the current Gear VR SM-R322 model number, as well as the Gear VR innovator SM-R321 before it.
Other than this information, little is known about the Samsung’s new Gear VR, other than the fact that it looks like it’s currently in the early stages of production.
It’s likely Samsung’s new headset will feature USB Type-C given the fact that its upcoming Note 7 is poised to feature the new port technology. Though switching over to USB would also make the older Gear VR even more obsolete.
Another possibility is Samsung shifting to ensure its mobile VR device is more compatible with Google’s Daydream platform, an upcoming strategy that will likely help bring VR to the masses. With momentum moving towards Google’s Daydream, it may be difficult for Samsung to continue its walled-garden approach to VR – Gear VR only works with newer Samsung devices – even with its lucrative partnership with Facebook-owned Oculus, the makers of the Oculus Rift.
Related reading: Why Samsung’s Gear VR is important to the future of virtual reality
[source]Galaxy Club[/source][via]Tech Crunch[/via]
