Samsung's XR headset makes its debut and will be sold at half price in the future.
Cheaper than a mobile phone
When it comes to mixed reality (XR) headsets, Apple's Vision Pro is definitely a topic that can't be avoided.
However, Apple isn't the only player in this category. Companies like Meta Quest and HTC Vive have been active in this field earlier than Vision Pro.
So for a long time, what was truly lacking in XR headsets was the participation of Android.
Image | Google
A few months ago, we briefly caught a glimpse of a product concept based on Android, namely vivo Vision. However, as of now, vivo Vision hasn't gone into mass production or been put on sale. It still remains in the form of a "concept device".
Therefore, the first Android mixed reality headset that has truly achieved mass production is the newly released Samsung Galaxy XR. Together with the Vision Pro, the Galaxy XR has become the only two mass - produced "Vision" - style products on the market.
Image | Samsung official website
As the "first Android XR headset" in Google's official words, the Galaxy XR is another proof of the sweet partnership between Google and Samsung. Just as wearOS always makes its debut on Samsung watches, and there are always far more Samsung phones than Pixel phones at Google's new Android showcases. Samsung has once again won the race to launch the first commercial product of Android XR.
The Galaxy XR adopts a product form similar to that of the Vision Pro. It uses the front eye mask as the main hardware body and relies entirely on the headband at the back for fixation. To minimize the weight of the headset, the battery pack has to be external and connected by a cable:
Image | Samsung official website
Meanwhile, the Galaxy XR also follows the Vision Pro in the button design. It is quite conservative in the total number of buttons, with only volume and power buttons, which are located on the left and right sides above the mask.
However, this doesn't mean that the operability of the Galaxy XR has decreased. In addition to gesture recognition based on the downward - facing camera and eye tracking inside the eye mask, the Galaxy XR also retains a small touchpad on the right headband, providing a solution for scenarios that require precise control.
Image | Samsung official website
Moreover, the built - in dual 4K micro - LED, spatial audio speakers, etc., have specifications similar to those of the Vision Pro. It can even be said that the Vision Pro and the Galaxy XR together define the standard form of "mixed reality headsets" for the next period.
It's just that compared to Apple, which can equip its headset with an M5 chip, Samsung isn't as "generous" in terms of hardware configuration.
Considering that its own Exynos processors are in a difficult situation and Qualcomm's XR series of chips have good comprehensive capabilities, the Galaxy XR has chosen the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 from its good partner. Note that this isn't the Snapdragon AR series with a lower power consumption budget, so you can rest assured about its performance.
Image of three good partners | Samsung Mobile Press
However, with higher power consumption, don't have too high expectations for its battery life. The Galaxy XR can only achieve a maximum of 2.5 hours of video playback or 2 hours of general - intensity use. Compared with this year's M5 Vision Pro, which can achieve 3 hours of video playback, it's still a bit inferior.
Image | Samsung official website
What's uncomfortable is that the Galaxy XR actually needs "ultra - long battery life" more than the Vision Pro, because compared to the Vision Pro, the biggest improvement of the Galaxy XR lies in its weight.
Due to the use of an all - metal body and an additional screen on the front, the previous - generation Vision Pro was already the heaviest among headset products. And this year's M5 Vision Pro has switched to a new headband, and the total weight of the device has increased from 600g in the M2 model to 800g ——
Image | Weibo @karminski - dentist
In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy XR is much more conservative in terms of weight. The headset part only weighs about 540g (1.2 pounds), and even with the headband, it's just over 600g. Compared with the over - 800g Vision Pro, it's more suitable for long - term wearing.
Of course, Apple has also clearly realized the issue of weight. Along with the launch of the M5 Vision Pro, there is also a new headband. Compared with the single - band design of the previous generation, it has an additional top suspension band. Although it's not as simple, it's indeed more practical.
A spoof image quickly created by a Twitter user using AI
The Galaxy XR leads the Vision Pro in at least one aspect: AI.
It is equipped with Google's Gemini and is specially designed for Gemini Live. Users can call it up at any time during use to analyze both what they see with their eyes and what's displayed on the screen:
Image | YouTube @Samsung
It's just that the above features only mean that as a product with most of its ideas coming from the supply chain, although the Galaxy XR is inferior to the Vision Pro in terms of technical specifications, it can still achieve about 80% of its functions ——
Most importantly, the starting price of the Galaxy XR is only $1799.99, which is approximately 12,700 RMB.
Only then does the significance of the Samsung Galaxy XR become prominent: This is an XR headset that's cheaper than its own foldable mobile phone. Compared with the Vision Pro, which starts at 30,000 RMB next door, it's like getting a huge discount.
Image | Samsung official website
Therefore, from another perspective, although the Galaxy XR is more of an "efficient combination of mature supply - chain technologies" rather than a "product of the future" that can define the mixed reality industry, after all, XR headsets, as a type of commodity, are ultimately meant to be sold to consumers ——
Compared with the 30,000 - RMB Vision Pro, which doesn't have a significant lead in functions, makes you feel backache after long - term wearing and doesn't allow you to drink water easily, the Galaxy XR, which costs about the same as a foldable phone, is undoubtedly an XR product that people are more willing to try.
However, at present, both the 100 - point Vision Pro and the 80 - point Galaxy XR still face three common problems:
Is it comfortable to wear it all the time?
What can I do while wearing it?
Is there any scenario where I have to wear it?
Regarding the first question, although the Galaxy XR provides an idea, it still hasn't solved the problem of having to use an external battery pack. And according to some overseas users' actual tests, although the Galaxy XR's battery pack uses a USB - C interface, it doesn't support direct connection to a power bank or a charger:
Image | X @xNanochip
That means once users need to wear the Galaxy XR for more than two and a half hours, they have to connect an additional power bank to the battery pack. You know, just having one "urine bag" is already enough to make many XR users unhappy. Adding one more, are the manufacturers not shaming users enough?
Meanwhile, the cumbersome wearing process of the Galaxy XR and the Vision Pro further affects the second question: What can we do with an XR headset?
Currently, most XR headsets are packaging themselves as ultimate audio - visual consumption tools, trying to make immersive videos the biggest advantage of XR compared with mobile phones and computers, thus cultivating a new form of content.
However, the current problem is that whether it's Apple TV in visionOS, which excels in first - party content, or the directly connected YouTube panoramic videos in Android XR, the content volume isn't rich enough to make people willing to buy a separate product to watch, not to mention that the price often reaches two or three thousand dollars.
Currently, buying the US - version Galaxy XR comes with a bunch of content subscriptions | Samsung official website
Take Apple, which does the best in immersive videos at present. According to foreign media statistics: As of the end of 2024, the total length of immersive video content on Apple TV that Vision Pro users can watch is only 152 minutes. Although a lot of content has been added in 2025, the total length of watchable immersive content still hasn't exceeded one day (24 hours).
In other words: You spend 30,000 RMB on a Vision Pro, and you can finish watching its exclusive content in less than a day. For the rest of your life, you can only use it to watch the same videos as on an iPhone, at most with a bigger screen.
Meanwhile, although both Apple and Google are making efforts to bring more sports live - streaming content to XR devices, they still can't avoid the limitations of high shooting costs, troublesome production, and single - themed content. It's difficult to improve the production efficiency of exclusive content:
The movie cameras used for shooting immersive videos are often such big guys | Endgadget