Apple Vision Pro delivers a sophisticated hardware and software experience that no augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) headset on the market can match. Competitors like Meta have repeatedly criticized Apple’s expensive Space Computer, but I’m sure the Vision Pro alternatives of the future will take inspiration from Apple’s gadget.
One of these devices could be the mysterious Samsung XR headphones. The Korean giant is developing it in partnership with Google and Qualcomm. XR stands for mixed reality, so it would be a device capable of supporting augmented and virtual reality experiences, just like Vision Pro.
If this all seems new to you, I wouldn’t be surprised. Samsung invited Google and Qualcomm to the stage at its Galaxy S23 event in February 2023 to showcase the “next XR experience” they’re building together. More than a year later, that experience is no longer there. But could we see the gadget at Google I/O 2024 next month?
“Google has been investing in AR and VR experiences and technology for a long time,” Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google’s senior vice president of Android, said at the Galaxy S23 event last year. “These technologies are an integral part of the next phase of computing because they can change the way we interact with people and information to get things done in the real world.”
“But delivering this next generation of experiences requires cutting-edge hardware and software,” he continued. “That’s why our collaboration with Samsung and Qualcomm is so exciting.”
When Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm announced they were creating the next XR experience, we already expected Apple to unveil the Vision Pro at WWDC 2023. Apple’s then-unnamed space computer , had been in the reports for over a year.
The joint announcement from Samsung, Google and Qualcomm seemed more like a statement to compete with Apple in the distant future. The companies have not set a release date for new XR product announcements or shared any details.
At this point, you might have forgotten that this XR device was in the works, but Google and Samsung could make some sort of mixed reality announcement at Google I/O 2024. SamMobile I spotted the “AR Ad” teaser that Google posted on X a few days ago.
Here is what Google published on its @GoogleARVR counts on X:
Mark your calendars. Join us on #GoogleIO on May 14 to learn about the latest developer products and #AR announcements!
That’s not enough to confirm that Samsung’s XR headset will be released next month. And I suspect Samsung would want to control where it makes such a big announcement. It may work with Google and Qualcomm, but the product Samsung announced last year will be a Samsung gadget.
Plus, Google might come up with something else. The company offers AR features on mobile, Google Maps Live View being one example. Google could still demonstrate AR innovations without announcing any new devices. Or without having Samsung on stage. It might just feature software advancements that will allow developers to create apps for any XR headset Samsung releases.
The teaser indicates that AR is also important to Google. Or rather, that it continues to be important. Samsung and Google were playing with AR long before the Vision Pro dropped. This wouldn’t be their first attempt at XR experiences, although the new headset should be better than any previous product.
I’m curious to see what kind of XR device Samsung can come up with, given that the Vision Pro is now a real product. Everything Samsung makes will be compared to Apple’s space computer. But I expect Samsung’s device to be much more affordable than the $3,500 Vision Pro. The XR headset will likely compete with Meta’s VR gadgets rather than the Vision Pro.
Luckily, we don’t have to wait that long to see what Google’s AR announcements are and if Samsung is ready to show off its XR device. Google I/O 2024 starts in about a month.
