Baofeng Mojing

About Baofeng Mojing

Baofeng Mojing, the virtual reality arm of Baofeng Group, was established in 2014 as a key player in China's emerging VR market. The company was founded by Huang Xiaojie, who previously founded the mobile music player天天动听 (Tiantian Dongting). Recognizing the future potential of VR after an experience with an Oculus Rift, Huang Xiaojie transitioned from the music software industry to lead Baofeng Mojing, bringing a strong background in internet product development and user-focused iteration.

The company's primary business revolved around the development and sale of virtual reality hardware. Its business model focused on making VR technology accessible to a mass audience by offering low-cost headsets that utilized a user's smartphone as the screen and processor. Much like the Samsung Gear VR, users would snap their phone into the device, which used lenses to create an immersive experience for viewing videos or playing games. This strategy allowed Baofeng Mojing to sell its products at a significantly lower price point, with early models priced around $15-$30, making it an affordable entry into virtual reality for many consumers. By January 2016, the company claimed to have sold 500,000 headsets.

Baofeng Mojing produced several generations of its mobile VR headsets, consistently iterating on the design to improve user experience. Later, the company expanded its product line to include all-in-one VR devices, such as the "Mojing 5.0" and the "Matrix", which did not require a smartphone. The Mojing 5.0 Plus, for example, featured an integrated Leap Motion sensor for finger tracking. The Matrix all-in-one headset boasted a 3K display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, and a split design to reduce the weight on the user's head. The company raised significant funding to support its growth, securing a $10 million Series A in April 2015 and a Series B of approximately $35 million in January 2016. Over four rounds, total funding reached $166 million. Despite its initial success and rapid product development, the company is now considered to be defunct.