Samsung XR headset to have another rival from Apple at launch

Last month, Google and Samsung revealed Project Moohan, a prototype XR headset they developed together. Samsung has made its hardware and Google has provided it with the Android XR OS. Based on this prototype, the two companies are expected to launch an XR headset in late 2025 or early 2026.

The product will most likely launch as a Galaxy XR headset, and when it hits the market, it will have three main rivals, Apple’s Vision Pro, Meta’s Quest 3, and Vivo's upcoming XR headset. However, a new report from Mark Gurman claims that the Galaxy XR will have not one but two rivals from Apple.

A cheaper version of Apple Vision Pro could arrive early and cause trouble for Google's and Samsung's upcoming XR headset

According to various reports, Apple has been working on a more affordable version of the Vision Pro and the Cupertino-based tech giant will launch it in 2027, which means that it won’t be a threat to Google’s and Samsung’s XR headset at launch.

However, Mark Gurman, claims that launching an affordable version of the Vision Pro is an “urgent goal” for Apple. Despite that, the analyst claims that the company won’t be able to launch it in 2025. However, he hasn’t ruled out 2026 for the launch.

If the cheaper version of the Apple Vision Pro hits the market in 2026, the Galaxy XR headset will have to compete with it in addition to the Apple Vision Pro and Meta’s Quest 3, which might turn out to be very challenging for Google and Samsung.

What do we know about the Galaxy XR headset?

Samsung's first XR headset has “advanced displays,” passthrough capabilities, and the Play Store from where you will be able to download apps for it. The South Korean tech giant is also developing motion controllers for the product, allowing it to be compatible with many existing apps for Android.

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Google has already given us a look at how the applications will appear in the Galaxy XR headset and how the navigation on it will work. It has also confirmed that Android XR will support the company's Find My Device network. Hopefully, we will get to know more about it in the coming months.