Huawei has announced its intention to compete in the 360-degree virtual reality (VR) marketplace, following an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

LetsGoDigital first noticed the application for Huawei’s ‘EnVizion 360 Panoramic VR camera’, though a patent has not yet been granted to the Chinese-based company. The application has been submitted, however, Huawei’s product still needs to be examined. Reports state the patent is expected to be a formality.

The VR camera is likely to interface with Huawei (and potentially other third-party manufacturer’s) phones, similar to the way the Samsung Gear 360 does.

It is unknown whether Huawei will incorporate its new AI hardware (said to be enclosed in its forthcoming Mate 10 smartphone) to enhance the camera’s virtual reality headset, though some commentators are speculating it is.

Much is still unknown about the upcoming device, and the consensus is it will arrive early next year.

Australian users are expected to receive the device when it launches.