During the launch of the Galaxy S23, Samsung revealed that it is making an XR product in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm. While the device or its release date wasn't revealed, it was rumored that Samsung could launch the XR headset in late 2023, but that didn't happen. More information about the development of the company's first XR headset has now been reported.
Samsung created the ‘Immersive Team' inside Samsung MX for XR headset development
According to a new report from Hankyung, Samsung created a separate team called the ‘Immersive Team' for the development of its first XR headset. This team is under the Samsung MX (Mobile Experience) division that makes smartphones. Earlier, there were only a handful of people on the team, but that figure recently increased to 100. The company will reportedly expand the team further to speed up the development of the XR headset. After more than 200,000 units of the Apple Vision Pro headset were sold last month, Samsung is reportedly scared that it may be left behind in the race.
The report also claims that experts from various departments inside Samsung Electronics, including technology development, marketing, and planning, were recruited into the Immersive team. The company is reportedly planning to launch the XR headset this year, and its unveiling could happen in the second half of this year alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
What to expect from Samsung's first XR headset?
According to various reports, Samsung could use a couple of 1.03-inch OLEDoS displays with around 3,500 ppi pixel density in its XR headset. This microdisplay was developed by Samsung Display-owned firm eMagin, and it was showcased at the CES 2024 expo. It could also use Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2+ processor, which can drive two 4.3K resolution screens per eye at 90fps. The operating system of the upcoming headset is reportedly made by Google, and it is a version of Android that is customized for mixed-reality headsets.
The device could also feature a bunch of camera sensors for full-color passthrough with just 12ms latency. It could also have a low response time, Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, powerful GPU and NPU, and Qualcomm's next-generation ISP (Image Signal Processor). The device could be priced much lower than Apple's Vision Pro. It could work with Samsung's smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
