The Galaxy XR headgear, the first of many Android XR devices, was released by Samsung in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm. The three tech behemoths are promising devices, including “the full spectrum of XR form factors,” such as AI glasses. While Samsung is working on those, the headset is the main emphasis today.
Galaxy XR:
The micro-OLED screens on the Samsung Galaxy XR have a resolution of 3,552 x 3,840 pixels, or 27 megapixels, which is nearly 8K. Three different refresh rates are supported: the standard 72 Hz, 60 Hz, and 90 Hz. The virtual display has a horizontal coverage of 109° and a vertical coverage of 100°.
Two cameras on board support video passthrough, letting you see the outside world for an XR experience. Additionally, the cameras are capable of capturing 3D images and videos. They have 6.5MP sensors and 18mm f/2.0 wide-angle lenses.
Six world-facing cameras are also included for inside-out tracking, which uses only your headset and no other gear to track location. Your hands, which are the primary input method, are also tracked by these cameras. To improve the experience under artificial illumination, there are five IMUs (accelerometers + gyroscopes), a flicker sensor, and a depth sensor.
For the headgear to recognise what you are looking at, it also has four eye-tracking cameras. To unlock the headset and verify you in apps that require it, this also enables iris recognition.
In addition to supporting optical inserts for users who wear glasses, the headset features an adjustable interpupillary distance (54–70mm). Additionally, a detachable light shield can be removed for increased comfort and improved immersion when using VR apps.
With the forehead cushion included, the Galaxy XR weighs 545g, and a separate battery weighs 302g. The light shield and the optional cushion size adjustments are not included in the weight.
According to Samsung, the headset’s frame is designed to distribute pressure across the user’s forehead and the back of the head, making it more comfortable to use. Your head and neck will feel less strain if the battery is kept apart from the primary device.
Although Samsung claims that the battery lasts up to 2.5 hours when watching 2D YouTube videos, keep in mind that this is not an “out and about headset.” It is anticipated to last two hours when used regularly.
The Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 powers the Samsung Galaxy XR. This offers 12ms full-colour video passthrough and is 20% quicker on the CPU and 15% faster on the GPU than the standard XR2 Gen 2. The chipset includes 256GB of storage and 16GB of RAM.
Additional Features:
All OK, but what are you going to do with it? All Android apps are supported by the open platform Android XR right out of the box. For this and the following XR devices, developers may design new experiences using OpenXR, WebXR, and Unity.
Another highlight of the platform is Google’s Gemini AI, which allows you to naturally converse with the Galaxy XR about your duties and surroundings while wearing it. The device sees what you see and hears what you hear.
With Google Maps, you may make travel plans and use Gemini to locate interesting destinations. Gemini lets you search YouTube for videos and ask it questions about what you’re seeing. When video passthrough mode is enabled, you may quickly start a search by drawing a circle around an object with your finger.
Of course, the Galaxy XR may also be used for entertainment. You can watch multiple sports broadcasts or stream your favourite TV shows in a theatre-like setting. Additionally, you may play XR-specific games while receiving suggestions from Gemini. Adobe has developed an XR video editor called Project Pulsar. You may also convert standard 2D images and movies into 3D ones with all the AI included.
Other noteworthy specifications include the headset’s compatibility for Bluetooth 5.4 and low-latency Wi-Fi 7 connections (802.11be). It can pick up your speech and sounds from your surroundings thanks to its six microphones. Two two-way speakers (woofer + tweeter) are also included.
Pricing:
Starting today, the Samsung Galaxy XR will retail for $1,800 (Rs.1,58,000/-) in the US and Korea.
