Just days after former Xiaomi executive Hugo Barra announced his resignation, we're finding out where he's headed next: Facebook. Barra, who will be moving back to Silicon Valley from China next month, will lead Facebook's virtual reality business, including Oculus, the company it acquired nearly 3 years ago.
Why it matters: It's clear that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes that virtual reality is the next big thing. So it's no surprise that he's entrusting an experienced product executive with leading the division, especially following the recent shakeup among Oculus' original leadership.
It's also notable that Barra has extensive experience in mobile devices and software from working at Xiaomi and on Google's Android team.
Many VR headsets, including Gear VR which runs on Oculus software, use smartphones as the "computer" that powers them. Smartphone technology will be integral to the VR market, many companies like Google, believe.
