In case you forgot, we're supposed to be going through a new AR and VR revolution, except we're not. The Vision Pro, Apple's first mixed reality (XR) headset, hasn't reshaped the market how many thought it would. And soon, it will be Samsung's turn to have another try at the virtual and augmented reality market. Will it succeed?
There's no way to tell how things will go for Samsung and its two major partners, Qualcomm and Google. It's hard to predict how the XR market will evolve or change and which manufacturer will finally manage to bring this technology truly into the mainstream.
Nevertheless, Samsung, Qualcomm, and Google say they're working on the “next XR experience.” And according to tipster @UniverseIce, the tentatively named ‘Galaxy XR' has some things in common with the upcoming Galaxy S25 flagship phone.
Galaxy XR and Galaxy S25 have common DNA
According to the latest rumor, “some of the design and features of the Galaxy S25 take into account the Galaxy XR.” It's unclear what this means exactly, and it would be easy to assume that the source hints at a Gear VR kind of experience where the phone powers the headset.
However, every leak and rumor so far says otherwise. The Galaxy XR should be a stand-alone device with its own processing hardware and power source, as well as a 3500ppi OLEDoS screen developed by Samsung Display or at least a micro-OLED from Sony.
If we were to guess, it's more likely that the source says the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy XR may have overlapping design languages.
As an older rumor has it, the Galaxy S25 series could look more different than the S24 and S23 lineups, as Samsung might be ready to transition to a new design language. Of course, this makes it harder to predict what kind of design Samsung's XR headset might adopt.
Furthermore, these different devices — phone and XR headset — could share some clever features, like Samsung Continuity and Galaxy AI.
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Galaxy AI could have a huge positive impact on the XR experience, as it might be the key to lifting some of the barriers that have so far held XR back, such as typing without a real keyboard or otherwise interacting seamlessly with the digital world around the user.
For now, it's just a guessing game. Samsung hasn't been confirmed these features so far. The company hasn't said anything that would link Galaxy AI and Galaxy XR, so time will tell how things develop.
Previous rumors suggest Samsung may release a developer version of Galaxy XR this year, followed by the consumer version in Q1 2025.
