In time with the launch of the improved Apple Vision Pro, Samsung has unveiled its Galaxy XR, which is now also available in the US and South Korea. Samsung – and indirectly Google – is competing aggressively with Apple on price and significantly undercutting its rival.
Consumers could end up being the winners. Because the improved Apple Vision Pro and the Samsung Galaxy XR have one thing in common: both XR handhelds are significantly more expensive than Meta's VR glasses or Sony's PlayStation VR2. Apple is charging $3,499 for its Apple Vision Pro, which was unveiled a few days ago. Samsung is charging $1,799 for the Galaxy XR.
It cannot be ruled out that Apple may have reacted to Samsung's announcement in terms of pricing. Although there have been rumors for some time that Samsung wants to enter the XR headset market, the aggressiveness with which Samsung is attacking its rival Apple is unusual.
Just a week ago, Apple announced the improved version of its XR glasses and presented numerous new features made possible by the newly integrated M5 chips. Entertainment and gaming have also been given greater consideration, so it is likely that numerous new apps will be added to the approximately 1 million compatible apps and 3,000 apps developed specifically for visionOS.
Apple Vision Pro and Samsung Galaxy XR
However, Samsung has now taken advantage of the announced launch on October 22 and promptly announced its competing product, the Samsung Galaxy XR. Not only is it significantly cheaper, but it will also be launched in Apple and Samsung's home markets, the US and South Korea, at the same time as the announcement.
The duel is particularly exciting because Samsung is essentially backed by Google, the second largest OS provider in the mobile sector. The Galaxy XR is the first product based on the new Android XR platform, which Google, Qualcomm, and Samsung have worked on together. Since it is based on OpenXR standards, the three companies promise that it will be easy for developers to bring their applications to the Galaxy XR using OpenXR, WebXR, or Unity. Even though neither device is yet priced for the mass market, the race for the spatial mobile market is now officially on.
