Teleport: A Sign of Things to Come

[Neil]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzZA-oeBopQ

We are getting to that point where the product isn't the technology, it's the purpose. Case in point is Teleport. Sold as a stereoscopic 3D add-on camera for mobile phones and a Google Cardboard-compatible HMD, their biggest selling point has little to nothing to do with the underlying technology. In fact, very little time is spent on field of view or pixels per lens or even how it works. Instead, most of their presentation is about recording and reliving valuable memories.

The HMD features per eye IPD adjustments and a focus knob, the cameras are listed as 720P, and there is a demo of how it is connected to your smartphone...and that's it.

Perhaps this is a sign of things to come. We have little doubt that if or when (we think when) Google goes all in with customized VR chips for smartphones, and when all these Android HMD options have an equal shot at VR readiness, they are going to have to appeal to something beyond specs to sell units. It's ultimately going to be about connecting with the customer and the customer's personal needs. Those needs may be about story or making our day easier, or simply connecting with something that makes us feel special about ourselves.  Creating this link is where things will ultimately head.

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[DigiMagic]

Regarding specs not being important: would you rather buy a camera that records 20x10 pixels video, or one that does 1920x1080? Since they are not important, you shouldn't care...

[Neil]

You have a very valid point - I should have highlighted the HMD more than the camera. This is where I'm coming from: within the next few years (and I'm thinking very few) every Android phone is going to have an equal shot at VR readiness with low latency and solid tracking. My train of thought is outlined here:

http://gamasutra.com/blogs/NeilSchneide ... _Horse.php

This means that with most Android smartphones having the goods built in to deliver competitive VR, the clam-shell HMDs for mobile are going to be more and more the same. What will differentiate them from one another will either be channel or business relationships, and in some cases, unique software and content that is bundled with their product.

From a marketing point of view, if the vision of a huge and diverse market is correct (and I really think it is), marketers will likely spend more energy investing in tying products in with specialized consumer needs or interests versus the specs. The phones will sell the specs; the HMDs less so.

Regards,
Neil