Magic Leap has entered a multi-faceted, strategic technology partnership with Google. The companies say the partnership will combine Magic Leap's leadership in optics and manufacturing with Google's technology platforms. Google was an initial investor in Magic Leap, leading a $542 million funding round back in 2014. Last year Magic Leap was in talks with Meta for an intellectual property (IP) licensing and contract manufacturing deal intended for mainstream AR products.
The partnership with Google suggests this fell through, though it's possible the partnership is non-exclusive. Samsung is also building a headset with Google powering the software, but Samsung's device is expected to be a VR-style headset with passthrough cameras like Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3. Magic Leap's technology is distinctly different from all three, using transparent AR optics instead. Magic Leap 2 launched last year at $3300, leapfrogging HoloLens 2 with a taller field of view, brighter displays, and unique dynamic segmented dimming.
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