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- Spatial Computing Business Newsletter, January 2026
Spatial Computing Business Newsletter, January 2026
Mobile developers and tech leaders, your spatial computing briefing is here. Stay informed with curated, executive-level news from the frontier of immersive technology.This month, the spatial computing landscape has been redefined by the events of CES 2026, where the battle lines between closed and open ecosystems became sharper than ever. Google has officially mobilized its Android XR alliance, designating XREAL as a lead hardware partner and lighting up the Las Vegas Sphere to signal its arrival. In stark contrast, Meta is pivoting hard—canceling its third-party Horizon OS headset program and executing significant layoffs in Reality Labs to double down on AI wearables and its own hardware. Meanwhile, Apple is steadily filling its content gaps, bringing major entertainment and enterprise players into the visionOS fold. Dive in to see how these strategic shifts and new partnerships are reshaping the market.
Mobile Devs! The market is flooded with new smart glasses hardware that relies on seamless connectivity with mobile devices. Be sure to check out the Operating System Announcements section, where we highlight how both Swift and Kotlin are being used to build the essential companion apps and connection layers for these new AI wearables.
🚀 Latest Real-world Spatial Applications
DHL successfully tests an augmented reality application on smart glasses in its warehouses to optimize picking processes and enhance logistics efficiency. Read more.
Spectrum launches Spectrum Front Row for the Apple Vision Pro, providing subscribers with immersive, high-definition sports broadcasts and live entertainment experiences from a courtside perspective. Read more.
Lakers Courtside debuts on Apple Vision Pro via Spectrum SportsNet+, allowing fans to watch live Lakers games from the perspective of the courtside table for the first time. Read more.
Disney+ is now available on Meta Quest, bringing its vast library of movies and series into a dedicated, immersive virtual cinema environment for the first time. Read more.
Simply expands its creative suite for Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest, launching new hobbyist tools that allow users to learn instruments and crafts with intuitive spatial overlays. Read more.
Atlas Obscura launches a 3D Virtual Lounge accessible via VR headsets, creating a social exploration space where users can virtually visit and discuss the world's most curious locations together. Read more.
Apple Arcade confirms a new assortment of classic arcade games is coming to the Apple Vision Pro, fully adapted for spatial gameplay to expand the platform's gaming library. Read more.
Meta releases a new mixed reality language learning application for the Quest 3, utilizing passthrough to label real-world objects in the user's target language for immersive vocabulary training. Read more.
📉📈 Market Watch
A snapshot of the capital, corrections, and campaigns moving the industry.
Smart glasses sales reportedly surge 200% year-over-year, signaling the start of mass market adoption. Read more.
Meta cuts ~10% of Reality Labs to focus on AI wearables. Read more.
Xreal raises $100M to battle giants in consumer AR. Read more.
Google lights up the Sphere with massive Android XR demo. Read more.
⚙️ Operating System Announcements
Meta Device Access Toolkit SDK v0.2.1 (Developer Preview)
Meta Wearables Device Access Toolkit Meta has released the first public version of its toolkit for iOS (Swift) and Android (Kotlin), enabling mobile apps to control Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley smart glasses. Release notes.
Camera Access: Developers can now stream live video (720p) and capture photo frames directly from the 12MP ultra-wide camera to their mobile app.
Audio & Mic: Full bi-directional audio support via the 5-microphone array and open-ear speakers using the standard Hands-Free Profile (HFP).
Device Support: Full compatibility with Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1 & 2) and Oakley Meta HSTN. Note: HUD/Display support is not included in this release.
Meta Spatial SDK v0.9.2
A new update to the Kotlin-based SDK has been released, enabling mobile developers to build immersive experiences using familiar tools. This version offers improved support for passthrough rendering and new hand-interaction prefabs to speed up development for Horizon OS apps for the Meta Quest. Release notes.
Apple visionOS 26.3 Beta 2
Apple has seeded the second beta of visionOS 26.3 to developers. The update focuses on stability for the upcoming release and refines the Hand Tracking and Spatial Persona features for better multi-user interactivity. Release notes.
Android XR (Developer Preview 3)
With the launch of Samsung XR, Google is urging developers to check out the new SDK. This is a Kotlin-first environment that utilizes Jetpack Compose for XR to build declarative spatial UIs—meaning modern Android developers can now build immersive apps using the same tools they use for mobile. Learn more.
🌎 Community & Industry
Announced Events
March 2–5, 2026, Barcelona, Spain
MWC Barcelona & 4YFN – The world's largest connectivity event and startup platform.
October 7-9, 2026, Berlin, Germany
xr&gamesCon – The world's premier event for XR & mobile game developers by the organizers behind droidcon and fluttercon. 📱
Spatial Computing Business Newsletter will be attending both!
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Join a Meridian Meetup!
Ready to connect with others exploring the spatial computing community in your city? Whether you want to attend an upcoming event or launch a new chapter, we invite you to get involved and help shape the future of the industry. Learn more.
🛠️ Hardware News & Rumors
Google has named XREAL as a lead hardware partner for Android XR. The companies will co-develop future AR glasses that deeply integrate Google's Gemini AI and Android ecosystem.
At CES, Asus (under its ROG brand) and Xreal unveiled a new pair of gaming-focused XR glasses boasting a blistering 240Hz refresh rate, designed to tether to gaming PCs and consoles.
Meta has officially canceled its "Horizon OS" third-party hardware program, scrapping planned headsets from partners Asus and Lenovo. The company will instead focus resources on its first-party hardware and AI wearables.
Reports indicate that Meta's high-end mixed reality glasses, codenamed "Phoenix," have been delayed until 2027 due to technical hurdles and cost reduction efforts.
A new teardown and review of the Samsung Galaxy XR reveals a modular design that makes it significantly more repairable than many of its competitors, potentially appealing to enterprise fleets.
Meta has reportedly paused the international rollout of its next-gen Ray-Ban glasses with displays to prioritize the US market and address supply chain constraints. Read more.
A newly granted patent suggests Apple is experimenting with a significantly lighter head-mounted display design, potentially pointing toward a future "Air" model of the Vision Pro.
Engage and Build 🏗️
Your contribution is vital to the mixed reality ecosystem! 🌐
As this sector moves at lightning speed, we invite you to share your recent work and unique perspectives to help drive the discussion. We would love to highlight your significant projects, so please get in touch with our team. What is the most compelling advancement in spatial technology you are tracking right now?