Motorola presents a 5G-enabled neckband with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC and a 5,000 mAh battery for AR and VR headsets

Motorola has unveiled a neckband in its bid to embrace AR and VR technologies. While the company has not announced the device's product name, it has revealed several specifications and an official render. As Motorola explains in a blog post, the neckband serves as a 5G modem, battery and processor for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) headsets.

Theoretically, handing off these elements to a dedicated device would allow AR and VR headsets to be lighter and more comfortable to wear than popular models, such as the Oculus Quest 2. Lenovo uses the ThinkReality A3 headset as an example, which it originally intended people to use with a laptop. However, it claims that the headset could be compatible with its neckband, giving it an added layer of versatility.

Additionally, Verizon, Motorola's partner for the neckband project, sees a range of useful applications for the neckband, including VR cinemas and more effective sports training. According to Motorola, the neckband features a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, an SoC that it recently brought to the Edge X30.

Also, the neckband has a 5,000 mAh battery, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a SIM card slot and speakers, along with a touch-sensitive surface for gesture controls. The neckband is compatible with Qualcomm's Snapdragon VR platform and Microsoft's Remote Network Driver Interface Specification (RNDIS), too. Motorola is yet to reveal details about the neckband's price or launch date, though.

Purchase the Oculus Quest 2 on Amazon