Samsung Galaxy XR – a new rival to the Apple Vision Pro at $1800!

4K micro-OLED, Android XR and Gemini on board. Has Samsung just started a revolution in augmented reality?

Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy XR – its first pair of augmented reality goggles created in collaboration with Google. The device costs $1800, which is nearly half as much as the Apple Vision Pro ($3500), but offers similarly advanced technology. On the other hand, it is still significantly more than the price of popular headsets like Meta Quest – and not without reason.

The Galaxy XR features 4K micro-OLED panels with a resolution of 3552×3840 for each eye, instead of the cheap LCDs known from the Quest. In total, this amounts to over 27 million pixels and a density of about 3800 ppi – more than Apple (23 million). This could be a breakthrough, especially if it is confirmed that the panels come from Samsung Display.

Premium picture and sound

Samsung declares support for HDR10 and HLG, coverage of 95% DCI-P3, as well as decoding of 8K60 content. It also features Dolby Atmos, although without Dolby Vision. The refresh rate is 60 or 72 Hz (default), and a 90 Hz mode is available “on service request” – whatever that means.

It includes six microphones with beamforming, bi-directional speakers (woofer + tweeter), and passthrough cameras and eye tracking. The headset also supports iris recognition, allowing users to unlock the device and log in to applications using their eyes.

Android XR and Gemini – the new tandem of Google and Samsung

Galaxy XR is the first device on the Android XR platform, specially prepared by Google for the era of Gemini.

– “Android XR is the first version of Android created entirely with the Gemini era in mind” – said Sameer Samat, head of the Android ecosystem at Google. – “Together with Samsung, we are building an open and unified platform for the new generation of spatial computers.”

The Gemini AI assistant operates here contextually – “it sees and hears what the user does.” For example, you can highlight an object in passthrough mode to instantly obtain information about it, or ask Gemini for recommendations or an analysis of the surroundings.

And what about the applications?

All existing Android mobile applications operate on a virtual screen, but to fully utilise the capabilities, XR-native applications will be needed – created in OpenXR, WebXR, or Unity. Initially, there are set to be more than 50 new XR experiences (Adobe, Calm, Fox Sports, MLB, YouTube 180°/360°).

For now, however, Google and Samsung are primarily focusing on the integration of Gemini, the search engine and shopping in augmented reality – which raises some questions about whether Android XR is ready for anything more than a demo of its capabilities.

External battery and ergonomics

The Galaxy XR weighs 545 g (with the front pad), and the external battery adds another 302 g. The latter provides up to 2.5 hours of video viewing, so watching "The Lord of the Rings" would likely be out of the question without a cable. However, the device can be used while charging.

The premiere of the Galaxy XR will take place on 31st October in the USA and South Korea. The 256 GB version is the only available configuration at launch.

Samsung Galaxy XR – Technical Specification

Summary

The Samsung Galaxy XR is the first device in years that could genuinely pose a threat to the Apple Vision Pro – not in terms of price, but rather technology. Excellent micro-OLED screens, a powerful set of cameras, integration with Android XR and Gemini make it the first “mobile” player in the world of spatial computing.

Will 2.5 hours of battery life and lower refresh rates ruin the effect? We'll find out after the premiere.