Samsung has a Vision Pro competitor to call its own in the Galaxy XR, which you can buy right now.
What’s the sitch?
Samsung first announced the Galaxy XR as Project Moohan back in December 2024. Since then, the company has been working on the headset, which is the first to feature Google’s new Android XR operating system.
As with Apple’s visionOS, Android XR overlaps with the real world in terms of how interface elements are shown. You can have multiple apps floating in space, including various Chrome tabs.
Google updated some of its own apps to support Android XR. These include Maps, Photos, TV, Meet, Chrome, and YouTube. Third-party app makers are also part of the fun, with apps from Calm, Fox Sports, MLB, Adobe, and more supporting the new platform.
In terms of design, the Galaxy XR uses a plastic construction to limit the pressure on your forehead. Whereas the Galaxy XR weighs 545 grams, the Vision Pro and its battery pack can weigh up to 1,153 grams.
There are two Micro-OLED panels coming in at a resolution of 3,552 x 3,840. The default refresh rate is 72Hz, though the panels can go up to 90Hz. Luckily for those with glasses, there are optical inserts to ensure compatibility with various glasses.
There are two “pass-through” cameras, along with six additional cameras for world-facing tracking. Another four cameras track your eye movements.
Under the hood, the Galaxy XR features the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 7 are also onboard, with battery life sitting at around 2 hours for regular use and 2.5 hours for video.
You won’t need to wait long if you want the Galaxy XR – it’s available right now in the U.S. and South Korea for $1,799. The Galaxy XR Controller costs $249.99, with the Travel Case listed at the same price.
Our take
The $1,799 price tag will cause some sticker shock, but it’s a much better look than the $3,499 price tag of Apple’s Vision Pro.
Also consider that Samsung has already been priming consumers with high price tags for consumer products. For example, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 costs $200 more than the Galaxy XR.
Whether the headset will provide just as much utility remains to be seen.
This is a new venture for both Samsung and Google, which look to justify Android XR’s existence. After all, the competition isn’t letting up – Apple will release the M5 Vision Pro tomorrow, and Meta is all systems go with the Ray-Ban Display and Oakley Meta Vanguard.
Leave a Reply