A previously unrevealed AR headset has Surfaced on Twitter this morning.
Dubbed Project Ironman, the device is reportedly being developed by Lenovo and Motorola as a flagship device for the Verizon 5G network.
This doesn’t appear to be a totally new collaboration. Lenovo’s product page for the ThinkReality A3 specifically mentions tethering the glasses to the moto G100 to “enable AR solutions” on 5G and WiFi 6 networks.
The headset itself looks like it could be a new member of the ThinkReality line, which it launched in 2019 as a HoloLens competitor. The glasses strongly resemble the current-gen ThinkReality A3, but they’re only part of the Project Ironman story.
The images, shared by Evan Blass, also reveal a unique input device. It features a trackpad and what looks like an integrated battery and it hangs around the wearers neck:
Assuming Project Ironman is being pitched for use in factories or other industrial settings, that’s a logical decision. Sure, it might look a little awkward, but a pointing device in the middle of the wearer’s chest at least keeps their hands and arms out of harm’s way when moving a pointer and clicking on things.
The neckpiece — which Blass says was Motorola’s contribution to Project Ironman — sends power and data to the headset via a cable. Its bright red color makes it fairly clear indication that Lenovo was involved in its design.
It’s difficult to say given the scant information available right now, but there may be more going on in the neckpiece. Given that Project Ironman is rumored to be destined for Verizon’s 5G network, it may be hiding what amounts to a screenless g100 inside.
That would allow for standalone use instead of making wearers run a USB Type-C cable to a phone.
As for a potential price tag for Project Ironman, all we have to go by right now are the prices of the ThinkReality A3 and the g100. The A3 sells for $1499.99 and the g100 is currently going for $449.
That could put it in the $2000 to $2500 price range, which is well below the Hololens 2’s starting price of $3499.
via @Evleaks
