Digimagaz.com – After Apple’s Vision Pro struggled to turn heads despite its cutting-edge technology, Samsung is stepping into the mixed reality arena with a different strategy. The newly launched Samsung Galaxy XR aims to deliver a more accessible, open, and AI-driven experience without the premium price tag that limited Apple’s headset.
A Refined Design with Smarter Engineering
At $1,800, the Galaxy XR costs nearly half of Apple’s Vision Pro, yet manages to impress with its premium construction and comfort-focused design. The headset weighs just 545 grams (1.2 pounds) lighter than Apple’s original Vision Pro and significantly less than the new M5 model, which tips the scales at up to 800 grams.
Samsung’s design philosophy favors practicality over spectacle. Unlike Apple’s device, there’s no outward-facing display, meaning your face isn’t digitally projected. Instead, the focus is on ergonomics, featuring a thicker forehead cushion and a twist-to-fit rear strap for easier adjustments.
Inside, the Galaxy XR is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip, paired with dual micro OLED 4K displays capable of up to 90Hz refresh rates. Despite not reaching Apple’s 120Hz standard, the image quality is remarkably crisp arguably superior to the Vision Pro, especially considering its lower cost.
Battery life is rated at about two hours of mixed use or two and a half hours for video playback, and users can recharge the device while wearing it. Samsung also incorporates iris recognition for fast and secure logins, replacing passwords entirely.
Android XR: A Familiar Yet Futuristic Platform
The Galaxy XR is the first headset to run Google’s Android XR, a new spatial computing platform that expands the Android ecosystem into mixed reality. For anyone familiar with Android phones or other XR devices, the learning curve is minimal.
Users can interact through hand gestures, voice commands, or both. A simple pinch gesture opens menus, while Google’s Gemini AI enables natural, always-on voice control no wake words required. It’s a small detail that makes the Galaxy XR feel more like a “Star Trek computer” than a typical headset.
The headset comes preloaded with key apps such as Google Photos, Maps, and YouTube, each enhanced for XR. Photos can be converted into layered, pseudo-3D images, Maps allows immersive virtual tours, and YouTube highlights 360° video playback optimized for the headset’s resolution.
Gaming, Productivity, and Cross-Platform Flexibility
Beyond entertainment, the Galaxy XR is designed to work with a wide range of devices and accessories. It supports Bluetooth game controllers, wireless keyboards, and mice, and can even be tethered to a PC for traditional VR gaming through Steam Link or similar platforms.
Samsung and Google are also developing Likenesses, a feature that creates realistic avatars for video calls using facial tracking data. Meanwhile, creative professionals can experiment with AI video generation tools like Veo3, which respond to spoken prompts to produce dynamic visuals in real time.
The Explorer Pack: Added Value for Early Adopters
Samsung isn’t just selling a headset it’s offering a full ecosystem of content. Each Galaxy XR purchase includes the Explorer Pack, which bundles:
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12 months of Google AI Pro
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12 months of YouTube Premium (including YouTube Music)
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12 months of Google Play Pass
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12 months of NBA League Pass
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Additional custom XR apps and experiences
It’s a generous offer that effectively lowers the barrier to entry while showcasing the headset’s entertainment and productivity potential.
Early Verdict: A Promising Vision for the Android Ecosystem
The Samsung Galaxy XR doesn’t just challenge Apple’s Vision Pro it redefines what a mixed reality headset can be at a reasonable price. By combining Google’s Android XR, Gemini AI, and Qualcomm’s advanced chipset, Samsung has built a device that feels practical, immersive, and forward-thinking.
While mass adoption of bulky headsets remains uncertain, the Galaxy XR demonstrates how an open, AI-enhanced ecosystem can breathe new life into spatial computing. Whether this becomes the breakthrough that mainstreams mixed reality or a stepping stone toward the next generation of smartglasses Samsung’s latest innovation has undeniably raised the bar.