After many leaks, Samsung and Google have finally unveiled the new Galaxy XR today. The two companies partnered to build a competitor to the Apple Vision Pro, and Project Moonihan led to today’s Galaxy XR announcement, complete with a whole new platform, Android XR.
I’ve been through numerous Apple Vision Pro demonstrations at the Apple Store, but despite a lot of interest in this category — including in the smart glasses sub-category — I’ve yet to be convinced that a Mixed Reality headset is worth the long-term investment. That’s not to say it’s not, but rather, so far, it hasn’t convinced me that it’s a form factor that can benefit me.
Half an hour with the Galaxy XR last week at an exclusive preview event in New York City changed that. In a rare turn of events, Samsung and Google chose to wait before diving into this category, and in doing so, fixed many of my chief complaints with the Apple Vision Pro.
The result is a Mixed Reality headset that I would buy. Actually, scratch that; the Galaxy XR is a headset that I want to buy. Here’s how Samsung and Google convinced me where Apple failed to.
The Apple Vision Pro weighs between 600 and 650 grams for the first-generation model powered by the M2 chipset, while the new M5 model is around 100 grams heavier. This is a lot of weight to carry on your head — especially for someone who’s had neck surgery like me — and it was one of the main reasons that I never purchased a Vision Pro.
Thankfully, the Galaxy XR goes in the opposite direction and shaves the pounds off considerably. It weighs just 545 grams, and this may seem trivial, but it feels significantly lighter and more comfortable on your face. A short demo with the Apple Vision Pro usually tires my neck muscles, but I felt little to no effect from this use.
It may change after an extended period of usage — that’s to be determined in a future review — but I’m excited to try this again. After each demonstration with the Apple Vision Pro, I usually feel the opposite, so this is already a significant improvement.
There’s another area where the Apple Vision Pro struggles, while the Galaxy XR is nearly flawless: voice input. The Apple Vision Pro relies on Apple’s nascent Siri voice assistant, while the Galaxy XR runs Android XR with a host of optimized Gemini features built in. There is no contest; Gemini is miles ahead of Siri, making the Galaxy XR more enjoyable and useful in daily life.
Despite the unique form factor, all the usual Gemini features are available. There’s an excellent Real World mode that overlays the interface on top of a dimmed view of the real world, although this can be hard to see when it’s particularly bright. That said, circle to search works extremely well, and Gemini’s voice response is fairly accurate even with background noise.
Where the Galaxy XR has a significant step up over the Vision Pro — at least that I can remember — is Gemini Live. This form factor is wonderful and, in many ways, a precursor to the Project Astra glasses that Google is also developing with Samsung, with designs planned from Warby Parker and Gentle Monster.
Project Astra is designed to bring Gemini Live to its perfect final form factor and allow you to interface with Gemini Live through glasses. The headset form factor of the Galaxy XR means it isn’t as portable as glasses will be, but Gemini Live still does an excellent job at blending your world with Google’s AI smarts.
There’s one key reason the Galaxy XR stands out: the $1,799 price. This makes it half the price of the Apple Vision Pro and solves a key problem with Apple’s first headset: it is too expensive for anyone but the avid enthusiast or developers building experiences.
Samsung took it a step further, as if you order the Galaxy XR before the end of the year, you’ll get an Explorer’s pack for free. That may sound trivial, but it’s a phenomenal offering worth over $1,000, and it includes:
If the Apple Vision Pro was too expensive for you — just like it is for me — look no further than the Galaxy XR. It runs Android XR and has access to a host of apps in the Play Store, including optimized versions of Google’s own apps. Finally, there’s also Netflix for headsets, which has been a notable omission from the Apple Vision Pro and will remain so, as it’s exclusive to the Galaxy XR.
Google and Samsung have built a headset that achieves what Apple couldn’t; the Galaxy XR has finally convinced me that XR headsets are worth investing in.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.