Not just Silicon Valley, but smartphone companies too believe the next big thing in tech is headsets and glasses. For Vivo, smartphones are still the core of its business, but this week the world’s fourth-largest phone maker unveiled a mixed-reality headset it envisions as the “everyday headset,” offering new experiences that weren’t possible on smartphones or laptops.Its Vision headset uses mixed-reality technology and features a dial that allows users to switch between augmented reality and virtual reality. Apple has also tried to crack the mixed-reality headset market with the Vision Pro but didn’t find immediate success. Vivo’s headset, however, is lighter, offers a 180-degree panoramic field of view, and may cost less than the Apple Vision Pro.The arrival of Vivo Vision has once again sparked conversations around mixed-reality technology, but the average consumer still doesn’t fully understand augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality. Before Vivo begins selling the Vision headset, here are the key differences between AR, VR, and MR, and what they mean, although the goal behind each technology is the same: to power the next generation of face computers.The difference between augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed-reality The Vivo Vision is a mixed-reality headset designed to bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds by adding digital components to our surroundings. The company is positioning the headset as a device for both entertainment and work, rather than one meant purely for fun.Also Read | Vivo unveils mixed-reality headset, taking on Apple and MetaWhat often confuses people about mixed reality is what the technology actually stands for and how it differs from augmented reality and virtual reality. There’s no single consensus on its definition, and different schools of thought interpret it differently. Technically, mixed reality is considered a subset of augmented reality. It’s essentially AR that meets a minimum standard for interaction and immersion.Mixed reality can be experienced either through clear glasses or through a headset with passthrough video from external cameras, rather than displayed on a phone screen. Notably, it doesn’t just overlay information onto the real world but also allows you to interact with virtual objects. So don’t call the Vivo Vision a virtual reality headset, even though it looks like one. It also doesn’t look like a pair of sleek augmented reality glasses either. Simply put, think of the Vivo Vision as a “spatial computer”, a term that refers to seamlessly merging the digital world with the physical world.Story continues below this adIn fact, both augmented reality and virtual reality fall under spatial computing, but each is designed to offer very different experiences. With augmented reality, digital content is overlaid onto the real world through a headset’s or phone’s cameras. Meanwhile, with virtual reality, you are fully immersed in a digitally simulated 3D world that is also interactive in nature. The best example of augmented reality is the hit mobile game Pokémon Go, which used AR technology to let players view virtual Pokémon on their phones, making them appear as if they were in the player’s physical surroundings.Also Read | I walked into an Apple Store and got a Vision Pro demo: Here’s my experienceWhat makes the Vivo Vision unique (and also similar to the Apple Vision Pro) is that it combines both AR and VR, and runs on OriginOS, which allows users to interact with and control applications using their fingers and eyes. Vivo has focused on augmented reality rather than virtual reality but the Vision headet is a full-fledged face computer. Spatial computer or a VR headset? Vivo, like Apple, is pitching the Vision headset as a spatial computer. It uses spatial tracking to create the illusion of looking through the device, while also offering varying levels of immersion.Story continues below this adThe hardware is impressive too: a premium headset with a metal enclosure, multiple cameras and sensors, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip, tiny microOLED displays with high pixel density and resolution, a Digital Crown for immersion adjustment, and a camera shutter button for capturing 3D photos and videos. It even delivers a 120-foot cinematic screen experience.However, there are some notable differences. At 398 grams, it’s much lighter than the Vision Pro’s 650 grams and offers a wider 180-degree panoramic field of view. Vivo has opted for an external battery to reduce weight, though it provides only about two hours of power. The lighter design makes it more comfortable for longer sessions, but it’s still a bulky computer strapped to your face, far from the sleek AR glasses tech companies keep promising. Although the headset looks slightly smaller than the Vision Pro in person, it follows almost exactly the same design language as Apple’s device. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Express Techie (@expresstechie) Do people actually want mixed-reality headset? The biggest question is whether consumers really want to wear a sky-goggle–like device on their faces, even for a short time. Vivo itself understands that it may take a while for a device like the Vision headset to gain wide adoption. That’s why the company isn’t rushing to bring it to market yet: the Vision is currently limited to an in-store experience in mainland China. Its missing price and retail availability suggest the company isn’t fully confident about launching the product and is instead waiting for feedback from both consumers and developers. The muted response to the Apple Vision Pro could be one reason. However, one thing is clear: Vivo, a major smartphone maker, believes extended reality will eventually become mainstream. The uncertainty is around when. And while Vivo is making its big debut with the Vision headset, it isn’t the only company experimenting with mixed reality. Samsung is gearing up to launch its Project Mohan headset, developed closely with Google later this year. Apple and Meta also remain committed to the technology and are working on their next-generation headsets.