Samsung’s Bet on Artificial Intelligence and Entry into the Extended Reality World with “Galaxy XR” Headset

Samsung Electronics has announced the launch of its new extended reality headset (Galaxy XR), powered by Google’s artificial intelligence capabilities, in a move aimed at competing in a market currently dominated by tech giants such as Meta and Apple.

The headset, which is similar in design to products from other companies such as Meta, will be available for $1,799, about half the price of Apple’s Vision Pro headset.

This headset is the first in a new series of devices based on the (Android XR) operating system and artificial intelligence technologies, as part of a long-term partnership with Alphabet’s Google and Qualcomm.

“We still have a long way to go in terms of other devices and form factors,” said Sharham Izadi, Google’s vice president of augmented and extended reality, in an interview before the headset’s launch.

Executives indicated that the next step would be to launch lighter glasses, while refraining from going into further details.

Samsung also announced partnerships with Warby Parker and South Korean luxury eyewear company Gentle Monster.

The race to develop new forms of entertainment and computing, powered by artificial intelligence, has sparked fierce competition among major technology companies. Meta, which owns Instagram, dominates the virtual reality headset market with a market share of nearly 80 percent, while Apple ranks lower.

The long-awaited (Galaxy XR) device, which was first unveiled last year, combines virtual and mixed reality features. It allows users to watch videos, such as those on Alphabet’s YouTube, or play games and view photos, while being able to interact with their surroundings at the same time.

The latter feature leverages Google’s Gemini service, which can analyze what users see and provide guidance or information about objects in the real world by looking at and pointing at things with their fingers.

Samsung and Google announced that customers who purchase the headset this year will receive a package of free services, including access to Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium, and Google Play Pass for 12 months.