Financial and Technology News

ROLE OF PHONES:IHS Insight analyst Ian Fogg said the interesting thing would be how smartphones would be incorporated into VR and how the consumers respond.

Virtual (VR) and augmented-reality gadgets are expected to hog the limelight at Berlin’s mega consumer electronics show IFA this week, as Pokemon Go gave a tantalizing preview of the appetite for such technologies.

VR headsets and cameras will jostle for attention, while analysts expect smartphone makers to also unveil new models compatible with the latest in such technologies.

The annual IFA show, which began as an exhibition on the new medium of radio more than 90 years ago, is today a massive showcase for consumers to touch and feel the latest in technological innovations.

Over six days from tomorrow, tech giants will be seeking to grab consumers’ attention with novelties as diverse as the latest in high-definition resolution television screens and 3D printers to fitness gadgets.

Pokemon Go, which combines both virtual reality and augmented reality, has been a runaway hit, sending millions of people young and old out into the streets to catch in-game monsters.

“The game gives a preview of how fascinating reality technology is for many people. Virtual reality has the ability to turn our daily habits upside down,” said Hans-Joachim Kamp, who heads gfu, Germany’s federation for consumer and home electronic firms.

Goldman Sachs earlier this year predicted that the virtual-reality and augmented-reality markets combined would reach US$80 billion by 2025.

The difference between the two is that while virtual reality blocks the user’s view of the real world through special glasses, augmented reality blends real life with computer-generated imagery.

For IHS Insight analyst Ian Fogg, “VR is very much a trend of the moment, a trend of what’s happening.”

“The really interesting thing is how big is the market, what role do smartphones play in this, what kind of concept will work on VR and what kind of consumers will embrace VR,” he said.

Fogg said the industry was still testing the waters.

“A lot depends on Google Daydream initiative, whether they’re going to talk about that around IFA, or whether they are going to wait until a date in the autumn,” he said.

Daydream is essentially a mobile store for VR games and apps.

It is unclear when Daydream will launch, but a key hurdle was cleared last month when Google released the Nougat update of its Android operating system, which is capable of running the platform.

In addition to VR, major smartphone and smartwatch makers have all lined up to unveil new offerings.

Annette Zimmermann from research agency Gartner Deutschland said that South Korea’s Samsung Electronic Co and Chinese giant Huawei Technologies Co are likely to roll out new smartwatches, while Japanese group Sony Corp might present its latest Xperia smartphone.