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LG Uplus partners Nreal to launch AR glasses in early 2020

Seoul, Nov 21

LG Uplus Corp. said on Thursday it has signed an exclusive deal with mixed reality display developer Nreal to launch augmented reality (AR) glasses in South Korea in early 2020.

The Korean telecom operator unveiled Nreal Light AR glasses by the Beijing-based startup to show off its AR applications on LG Electronics Inc.'s 5G smartphone V50S ThinQ.

AR overlays digital content on top of the real world and is primarily experienced via a wearable glass device, a head-mounted display or through smartphone applications, Yonhap news agency reported.

LG Uplus said it will run a test service available on Nreal Light in its 35 outlets as well as pop-up stores over the next few months before commercializing it in the first half of next year.

Nreal Light AR glasses have been in the spotlight with their lightweight design and aggressive pricing since debuting at the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas in January.

Nreal Light is priced at US$499 and weighs 88 grams, making it more sellable than Microsoft's Hololens, which cost $3,500 and weigh 566 grams, and Magic Leap's AR glasses, which are priced at $2,295 and weigh 345 grams.

In light of the partnership with Nreal, LG Uplus said it will showcase a wider range of 5G-based mixed reality content, including telepresence, AR showrooms and three-dimensional AR educational content.

"The media consumption patterns on smartphones will change thanks to AR glasses," said Song Dae-won, who is in charge of the future device division at LG Uplus. "Customers will be able to experience new services with LG Uplus' 5G content and Nreal Light."