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The man behind the Android G1 is working on a secret VR headset

And, of course, it runs on 5G.

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Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
Expertise Mobile, 5G, Big Tech, Social Media Credentials
  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
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Roger Cheng
HTC Chief Executive Peter Chou unveils the new HTC One brand name. There are three models--the x, s, and v.

Former HTC CEO Peter Chou at the 2013 edition of MWC. He's up to something new, and it's not a phone.

Stephen Shankland/CNET

Peter Chou is back at MWC with a mysterious project. 

The man behind many beloved early Android phones from HTC, including the original T-Mobile G1, appeared at the Barcelona trade show Tuesday with his new company, XRSpace. The company is building a headset that combines a virtual reality experience with a social network platform. It will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile VR Platform, and will also mix in augmented reality. Like many of the products we've seen at MWC this year, it will run on 5G wireless technology.

Other than that, there are no details. The company didn't supply any images, and it didn't bring the device to MWC.

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But Chou's pedigree as co-founder and former CEO of HTC during the company's heyday means his startup can't easily be dismissed. Chou helped pushed the smartphone trend forward with different materials and designs and was the man who pushed to build the original Android phone, the G1.

Throughout it all, Chou always made sure the product had a slick look. XRSpace touts the new device as a "compact fashion statement."

Chou retired from HTC in 2015 as the company struggled to compete against bigger players such as Samsung and Huawei.