Samsung and in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm, has launched the Samsung Galaxy XR, the first-ever Android XR headset designed as a direct competitor to Apple‘s Vision Pro. It offers a compelling blend of hardware and software features that make it an attractive option for XR enthusiasts and professionals. The headset highlights its lightweight design (545 grams), adjustable fit, and supports prescription lenses, enhancing comfort and usability. The Samsung Galaxy XR is priced at $1,800, which is noted as expensive but nearly half the cost of the Vision Pro.
Design and Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy XR includes several Google services, such as 12 months of Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium, and Google Play Pass, as bonuses. Its Design is inspired by Apple, featuring a flatter and less curvy look, with a front glass that lacks a display for eyesight like Apple’s . Despite this, the design remains visually appealing. It comes with a battery pack that is carried separately and offers a battery life of up to 2 hours during general use and about 2.5 hours for video playback, which is less than Apple’s Vision Pro.
Comfort and Prescription Lens Support
So the Samsung Galaxy XR weighs 545 Grams, making it about 250 Grams lighter than the Vision Pro, which contributes to a comfortable wearing experience. It fits comfortably around the head with adjustable sizing to prevent slipping. The internal display automatically adjusts to optimise vision, accommodating users with glasses or poor eyesight. The Galaxy XR supports prescription lenses sold separately and runs on a new OS called Android XR.
Specs
| Category | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Performance | Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 Platform 16GB RAM 256GB Storage |
| Display | 4K Micro OLED (3552 × 3840) 29 Million Pixels 96% DCI-P3 Up to 90Hz 109° FOV Horizontal 100° FOV Vertical |
| Sensors | Two High-Resolution Pass-Through Cameras Six World-Facing Tracking Cameras Four Eye-Tracking Cameras Five Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) One Depth Sensor One Flicker Sensor Iris Recognition (Biometric) |
| Camera | 6.5 MP (f/2.0) 3D Photo & Video Capture |
| Battery | Up to 2 Hours of General Use Video Watching Up to 2.5 Hours Can Be Used While Charging |
| Weight | 545g (with forehead cushion) Battery: 302g |
Android XR OS and Controls
The interface is controlled primarily through hand gestures tracked by sensors and cameras, allowing intuitive actions like pinching to select or resize items. And users can also connect a mouse and keyboard fa or a more traditional experience, which is useful for searching, or use voice commands, and Samsung also offers a $250 Galaxy XR controller designed for gaming.
App Compatibility and Floating Windows
So users can download any Android app from the Play Store that can run as floating windows in the real world via the headset, with windows staying anchored in different physical locations. This allows for apps like YouTube, workspace tools, or entertainment apps to appear in designed rooms, enhancing usability. And the headset supports sideloading apps from outside the Play Store, expanding possibilities for users and developers.
Immersive Environments and Video Calls
The Adobe developed a 3D video editing app called Project Pulsar for XR editing. This app enhances the immersive experience of editing. Video call features customizable avatars that track facial and hand movements to maintain expressiveness. Some of the apps offer a fully immersive 360° environments that completely replace awareness of the real world, allowing users to explore locations like New York City. Google provides immersive environments for apps like YouTube and games, which makes users feel transported to different parts of the world. Safety features warn users if they are about to bump into objects while in immersive mode, reducing concerns about physical navigation.
Google apps and Gemini AI Features
The XR headset increases immersive experiences on platforms like YouTube with VR 180-degree videos and a multi-view feature that allows watching multiple videos simultaneously, ideal for tracking several sports games. The Google map experience lets users navigate new cities with a directional arrow that turns as they move. The headset enables virtual exploration of spaces like restaurants. A standout feature is Google’s Gemini AI embedded in the OS, providing an interactive assistant similar to Jarvis from the Iron Man Movie, and it supports conversational commands, window management, and quick searches via hand-drawn circles.
The AI can also locate lost items and recently introduced Gemini Live, allowing users to chat with fictional characters in their authentic voices, though this feature may be more gimmicky. The overall experience depends on the display quality and user comfort during use.
Display and Sound
The highlighting part of the Samsung Galaxy XR display is its 4K micro OLED screen, 109° horizontal and 100° vertical field of view, and higher resolution than the Apple Vision Pro. Despite a lower refresh rate of 90Hz compared to Apple Vision Pro, the sound quality is impressive because of its dual speakers and strong bass. The device includes six microphones for voice detection. But still, the battery life is limited to about 2 hours, making it more suitable for indoor use. The impressive part of its features is smart integration with Gemini, and affordability at half the price of the Apple Vision Pro.