Samsung Launches Galaxy XR Headset To Compete With Apple, Collaborate With Google And Qualcomm

Samsung Electronics officially launched the Galaxy XR (photo: dock. samsung)

JAKARTA - Samsung Electronics officially launched its newest Galaxy XR, its newest mixed reality headset, with Google's artificial intelligence (AI) support and chip power from Qualcomm. This device is expected to be a serious competitor to Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest in a market that is stagnant but full of future ambitions.

The Galaxy XR headset sells for $ 1,799 (IDR 29.9 million). This is about half the price of Apple Vision Pro) and comes into stock on October 21. This product is the result of a long-term collaboration between Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm, which combines the Android XR operating system with Google Gemini's multimodal AI capabilities.

Google's AR/XR vice president, Sharham Izadi, said this launch was just the first step. "There's still a long journey ahead with various new devices and shapes," he said. Samsung has also partnered with glasses brands Warby Parker and Gentleman Monster to develop a version of light glasses in the future.

The Galaxy XR comes after ten years of Samsung research in the mixed reality sector. The project is codenamed Moohan, which means infinite' in Korean. According to Jay Kim, Executive Vice President of the Samsung mobile division, the company considers now the most appropriate moment to enter the market after considering the maturity of technology and market conditions.

This device combines virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) functions. Users can watch videos on YouTube, play games, or view photos immersively, while still interacting with the surrounding environment. Its interactive features take advantage of Google Gemini's services, which are able to recognize objects in the real world and provide information or direction directly only by pointing at the finger.

This collaboration also brings Google's multimodal AI capability which is able to analyze text, photos, and videos at once into the headset. Anshel Sag analyst from Moor Insights & Strategy assessed that Google's presence changed the dynamics of the XR ecosystem, even increasing the value to a thousand dollars into the device through the integration of its advanced software.

This year's Galaxy XR buyer will get a 12-month free service package, including access to Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium, Google Play Pass, and various exclusive XR content.

This headset is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip. The Galaxy XR prototype is actually ready since Apple launched Vision Pro in 2024, but Samsung has chosen to wait to provide a more mature AI experience through integration with applications such as YouTube, Google Photos, and Google Maps.

Although many tech giants view XR as the next large wave in personal computing, the head-mounted device market is still small. Gartner's research firm estimates that the XR's global headset market will only grow 2.6% in 2026 to 7.27 billion US dollars, while the Counterpoint firm noted that the delivery of the 2025 VR headset fell by about 20% compared to the previous year.

However, with more competitive prices and strong AI features, analysts believe Project Moohan has the potential to become a strong competitor to Apple Vision Pro, especially in the entertainment segment. Galaxy XR also marks Samsung's new chapter in the world of facial computing after their experiment a decade ago through Gear VR, which at that time was developed with Oculus the company that Meta now has.