Quick summary
Samsung might be working on some new AR glasses, and a new patent suggests they'll have a case.
This would wirelessly charge the glasses or headset, although it might never arrive.
Apple's Vision Pro isn't going to have the high-end AR headset market to itself for much longer, it would seem (and that's if you accept that it already does, which is debatable).
Samsung is one of Apple's many competitors that is reportedly working on a high-level premium AR headset or glasses, and while we don't have any official news about when to expect them or what they might bring to the table, a new patent has given at least one hint.
As spotted by 91mobiles, Samsung filed a patent earlier this year describing a charging case for a compact new headset, and it seems like it uses a pretty interesting system.
Whereas most chargers of this type now would need to align with some charging pins on the headset or have a charging pad that the headset can be placed on carefully, this would work differently. The case would seemingly have two charging points that could be aligned with the headset's actual lenses, which would then be able to transfer charge when correctly positioned.
They would presumably therefore have charging coils concealed around them, which is a smart double-use of space, and it's possible that by having two lenses and two coils the headset could also charge faster than it would by using just a single coil.
Whenever we cover a patent, though, it has to come with the same significant caveat - this might never come to market! While Samsung doubtless is working on some ambitious smart glasses or a headset to rival the Vision Pro, there's absolutely no guarantee that its own eventual product will use this charging case system, if it even does eventually arrive.
There are many things that could change between now and then, not least Samsung establishing whether there's enough of a market for its headset, and this charging system will have to be cost-efficient to build if it's going to make the cut. So, keep an eye out, because there might be more interesting patents and leaks of this kind to come.
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Max is a freelance writer with years of experience in tech and entertainment. He's also a gaming expert, both with the games themselves and in testing accessories and consoles, having flexed that expertise at Pocket-lint as a features editor. He has tested all manner of tech too, from headphones and speakers to apps and software.
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