MWC SHANGHAI 2021: Xu Chi, founder and CEO of mixed reality (MR) company Nreal (pictured), outlined plans to expand into new markets this year and work with developers to diversify content offerings.

Xu said it will launch its AR glasses in Europe next month and move into North America in Q2. It is also preparing an entry into China, its home market, later this year.

The executive credited growing availability of 5G for boosting interest in its product, in particular the “faster” data rates delivered by the technology, which he noted had “become very popular in many markets”, particularly South Korea.

Nreal launched devices in partnership with Korean and Japanese operators during 2020, and later forged a deal with Vodafone Group.

Less than six months after being introduced in South Korea, Xu said its Nreal Light glasses are available in 220 stores offering more than 3,000 AR titles, and racking up a typical daily use time of 120 minutes.

So far, the company attracted more than 7,000 content developers spanning independent and multinational companies which are working on services “in the consumer and B2B sectors, helping us to further enrich the market”.

Nreal unveiled an enterprise-focused variant of its glasses during the event, with a launch scheduled for later in the year. Xu said business customers requested different styles and battery life exceeding the eight hours offered by its consumer product.