Galaxy XR: A joint effort to beat the Apple Vision Pro at half the price
When Samsung, Google and Qualcomm team up, expectations naturally rise high — and the new Galaxy XR does not disappoint.
Announced as the first product under the new Android XR platform, the headset signals the start of a wider push into extended reality, combining hardware innovation with powerful artificial intelligence.
At first glance, the Galaxy XR looks like a sleek piece of futuristic tech. Its micro-OLED displays deliver an almost 8K visual experience, with a 109-degree field of view that feels natural and wide. Six world-facing cameras handle motion tracking, while internal eye-tracking cameras enable iris authentication. A separate 302-gram battery reduces head weight and improves comfort, adding a thoughtful detail for longer use.
The Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip drives it all, offering faster processing and smooth video passthrough. With 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, the headset feels more like a powerful computer than an accessory.
What truly sets it apart, however, is Gemini AI, Google's latest multimodal assistant. The Galaxy XR sees what you see and hears what you hear, allowing users to interact with the world in a conversational way. Drawing a circle in the air around an object triggers an instant search, and you can even chat with Gemini while watching a video or navigating in 3D Google Maps.
Priced at $1,800, Galaxy XR is entering the same high-end territory as Apple's Vision Pro. However, the Vision Pro comes with a much higher tag at $3,500. While Apple focuses on visual fidelity, Samsung's bet lies in open platforms and integrated AI.