I Tried the Samsung Galaxy XR and was Blown Away!

The Samsung Galaxy XR headset, developed in partnership with Google and Qualcomm, offers a compelling Android XR experience as a direct competitor to Apple's Vision Pro, featuring advanced AI integration and an accessible price point.

• Samsung Galaxy XR is a competitive Android XR headset, priced significantly lower than Apple's Vision Pro.

• Features an intuitive Android XR OS with hand tracking, versatile app support, and immersive environments.

• Integrated with Google's Gemini AI, offering advanced AI assistance and superior display resolution.

Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm have released the Galaxy XR, the first Android XR headset, which functions as a direct competitor to Apple's Vision Pro at nearly half the price. The device boasts an intuitive Android XR operating system, comfortable design, and deep integration with Google's Gemini AI, delivering a highly immersive and productive mixed-reality experience despite its limited battery life.

Initial Impressions & Design

• 00:00:05 The Samsung Galaxy XR is an Android XR headset, a direct competitor to Apple's Vision Pro, priced at $1800 and including Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium, and Google Play Pass for 12 months. Its design is sleek with a flatter look than the Vision Pro, though it lacks a front display and requires a separate battery pack, which offers only 2-2.5 hours of use, less than its Apple counterpart. Despite the battery limitation, the headset is notably light at 545 grams, making it comfortable for extended wear, and features adjustable fit and display settings, including support for prescription lenses.

Android XR OS & Interaction

• 00:01:54 The Galaxy XR runs on a new Android XR operating system, featuring a customizable home screen and intuitive hand-tracking gestures for interaction, allowing users to pinch to select or drag and resize elements. While hand gestures are effective, users can also connect a mouse and keyboard for traditional input or use voice commands for search. A dedicated Galaxy XR controller is available for gaming, and the system supports all Android apps from the Play Store, displaying them as floating windows that can be persistent across different physical locations, which enhances productivity and entertainment possibilities.

Immersive Experiences & Google Apps

• 00:03:46 Beyond floating windows, the Galaxy XR offers fully immersive 360-degree virtual environments for games or videos, and Google provides rich immersive settings to enhance content consumption. Optimized Google apps like YouTube feature spatial multi-view for watching multiple videos simultaneously and VR 180-degree experiences. Google Maps offers an innovative navigation experience where the map and street view rotate with the user, and allows virtual exploration of locations, providing practical and engaging uses for the headset.

Gemini AI Integration & Display Quality

• 00:05:06 Central to the Galaxy XR's operating system is Google's Gemini AI, offering a 'Jarvis-like' experience for conversational interactions and task automation, such as reorganizing windows. Features like Circle of Search and the ability to locate lost items with AI assistance enhance usability, alongside the intriguing 'Gemini Live' feature for interacting with fictional characters. The headset's display quality is impressive, featuring a 4K micro-OLED screen with a 109-degree horizontal field of view and 29 million pixels, surpassing the Vision Pro's resolution, though its 90Hz refresh rate is lower. Sound quality is described as fine, with a two-way speaker system and six microphones.