Samsung Galaxy XR points the way to an AR future
« Where are the glasses? » I couldn’t help but ask Drew Blackard, Samsung’s VP of Mobile Product Management, when we sat down shortly after the unveiling of the company’s exciting new Samsung Galaxy XR spatial computing, Gemini AI-centric headset.
Blackard couldn’t share specifics but did acknowledge, « it’s coming soon.And I’ll use those words purposely in the sense that it’s not like a far-out concept. »
Even though the glasses were nowhere to be seen during the Galaxy XR launch, Samsung did announce a pair of lens frames partnerships with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, and Blackard told me they are « nearing the execution phase. »
« You could call today, I guess, a tease. » Even though he promised we won’t have to wait too long, he added that we will not see the glasses « this year. »
I pressed him a bit, though, asking if the release of the Galaxy XR headset and then the glasses was somehow out of order, especially with the rapidly rising interest in smart glasses that either deliver information to your eyes or combine your real world with an augmented one. Is this just a first step?
« I think it is », said Blackard, « I don’t think it’s out of order. In the sense, they’re so related, and I think the announcement today helped paint the picture. »Examining an AI heart
With that slight disappointment settled, I steered the conversation back to the new headset, talking about design choices and how they differ in some fundamental ways from what’s already on the market (yes, looking at you Vision Pro).
The new Samsung Galaxy XR headset is a gaze, voice, and gesture-control headset that arrives today (October 21) for $1,799 in the US and Korea.
While there are similarities to the Vision Pro, like the controls and even the external battery pack, it’s also significantly different. First, there’s that price, which is roughly half the price of the Vision Pro. Then there’s the weight, which is at least 65 grams less and arguably across a better-balanced frame.
The big differentiator, though, is Gemini AI. It’s the kind of Apple Intelligence-infused Siri Vision Pro control I wished for but has never materialized.
« It’s an AI device », said Blackard.
I wondered if Samsung and its partners would’ve brought the Galaxy XR to market two years ago when, for instance, Gemini AI didn’t exist in its current form.
