Samsung bets on Android XR with the launch of its new Galaxy XR headset

It’s been almost a year since Google introduced Android XR, its new operating system designed specifically for extended reality (XR) devices like headsets and mixed reality glasses. At that time, Google announced it was collaborating with Samsung and Qualcomm to release the first Android XR device this year, a headset codenamed Project Moohan. Now, that headset is finally making its debut.

Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy XR, its first extended reality headset built on Android XR, a platform that Samsung claims centers around “AI at the core of the experience.” The device runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset and integrates closely with Google Gemini, which users can use to manage tasks and features in Android XR. Other specifications include a 4K Micro-OLED display, 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and up to 2.5 hours of battery life. The headset can be used while charging.

Galaxy XR is described as lightweight and comfortable, featuring a detachable light shield that, when attached, helps block external light to enhance immersion. It also comes preloaded with popular Android apps designed specifically for Android XR, such as YouTube, Google Maps, and Circle to Search.

If you want to be among the first to own Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset and experience Android XR firsthand, it is already available for purchase in the US and Korea on Samsung’s website, priced at $1,800.

“With Galaxy XR, Samsung is introducing a brand-new ecosystem of mobile devices,” said Won-Joon Choi, COO of Samsung’s Mobile eXperience business, in a press release. “Built on Android XR, Galaxy XR expands the vision for mobile AI into a new frontier of immersive and meaningful possibilities, allowing XR to move from concept to everyday reality, for both the industry and users.”

Galaxy XR takes aim at the Vision Pro

The headset is only the start of Samsung’s push into extended reality

Credit: Samsung

Looking at Samsung’s new Galaxy XR headset, it’s hard not to compare it to Apple’s Vision Pro headset, which debuted in 2024 and was recently refreshed with its M5 chipset. Both the Galaxy XR and the Vision Pro offer extended reality experiences, but Samsung’s is significantly cheaper at $1,800 compared to the Vision Pro’s $3,500 price tag.

Like with VisionOS, in Android XR, you can interact with apps while wearing the headset in an extended reality environment. While the Vision Pro has Apple Intelligence, Galaxy XR offers AI capabilities from Google, such as Gemini and Circle to Search. For example, when wearing Galaxy XR, you can use Circle to Search to circle objects in the real world to retrieve information about them. You can also interact with Gemini to get information about what you’re viewing at any time, such as when watching a YouTube video or finding a place to go on Google Maps.

“Android XR is the first Android platform built entirely for the Gemini era, and we are incredibly excited to take a significant leap forward today with the launch of Galaxy XR,” said Sameer Samat, the President of Android Ecosystem at Google, in a press release. “Through our partnership with Samsung, Android XR will unlock entirely new ways to explore, connect, and create, building an open, unified platform for the next evolution of computing.”

Samsung’s Galaxy XR is just the start of the company’s move into XR devices, with the tech giant already teasing “AI glasses” running Android XR that are coming soon. These are also being developed in partnership with Google and Qualcomm. If Samsung does release smart glasses soon, it probably aims to take advantage of the growing popularity of smart glasses, which is evident by the success of the Meta Ray-Bans.

For now, the Galaxy XR headset is the first Android XR device ever, and it is available now for $1,800 in the US and Korea.