Samsung nears XR headset launch to challenge Apple Vision Pro

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Details on when Samsung plans to launch its XR headset ‘Project Infinite’ have leaked, and it doesn’t seem like we’ll be waiting long.

According to South Korean news outlet Newsworks, Samsung will launch its ‘Project Infinite’ headset in its home country on October 13th following a full unveiling at a Galaxy Unpacked event on September 29th. The headset, a joint effort with Google and Qualcomm, is set to be the Android camp’s answer to the Apple Vision Pro.

Samsung’s headset promises to finally realise the promise of blending the real world with the digital one. Early reports from people who’ve tried it are positive, with many saying it’s surprisingly comfortable. However, similar to the Vision Pro, the price may continue to be a limiting factor to widespread adoption.

Concept image of the Samsung XR headset, the company's answer to the Apple Vision Pro, as leaks give an idea of its specs and capabilities ahead of its launch.

We’re hearing Samsung’s XR headset could cost anywhere between £1,450 and £2,300. While it’s far cheaper than Apple’s eye-watering £3,500 Vision Pro and more in reach of normal people, it’s still not exactly an impulse buy. It makes the £480 Meta Quest 3, the headset most people are familiar with, look like an absolute bargain.

A Samsung official admitted that no matter how comfortable the XR headset is, it’s just an expensive paperweight “if it isn’t loaded with various contents that allow it to function properly.”

This is where Samsung thinks it has a secret weapon. Because of its partnership with Google, nearly every app in the Android Play Store will apparently work on the headset from day one. That’s a massive library of games, tools, and entertainment.

Of course, Apple won’t be taking this lying down. The first Vision Pro was technically impressive, but it was also criticised for being heavy, having a clunky battery, and, well, costing a fortune for a device that few people knew what to do with. The upcoming Vision Pro 2 aims to fix at least some of these issues.

Apple’s Vision Pro 2 is rumoured to have a much more powerful and efficient M4 chip inside, meaning it should run better without getting as hot. They’re also reportedly designing a new strap to make it less of a neck-strainer. But don’t expect a price drop; Apple seems happy to keep this as a luxury item for professionals and developers for now.

Both Samsung and Apple know that these big, expensive XR headsets aren’t the final destination. They’re a stepping stone. The real prize, the device they believe we’ll all be using one day, is a simple pair of smart glasses.

Imagine getting directions that appear to float in front of you on the street, so you never have to look down at your phone again. Or translating a foreign menu or conversation in real-time, right before your eyes. That’s the future they’re chasing.

Samsung is already working on two types of glasses for next year. One will be a simpler version, a bit like the current Ray-Ban Meta glasses, for taking photos and listening to music. The other will be a full-blown augmented reality device that is designed in collaboration with a designer eyewear brand to make sure it actually looks good.

Apple, as always, is playing its cards close to its chest, but the rumours suggest they’re all-in on glasses too. The goal for both is to create something light, stylish, and useful enough that you’ll want to wear it all day.

So, will we all be sporting high-tech specs in a few years? It’s still a big ‘if’. We’ve been promised this future before and it hasn’t quite worked out. But, for the first time, it feels like the two companies with the money and influence to make it happen are taking it seriously. The XR headset battle this year between Samsung and Apple is just the warm-up act for the main event.

(Photo by Jonathan Kemper)