Samsung on track to launch its XR headset soon

Samsung is on track with the development of its upcoming XR (extended reality) headset. TM Roh, the company’s head of mobile business, recently teased that an announcement isn’t too far off now. He didn’t give a more precise launch timeframe, though.

During Samsung’s Galaxy S23 launch event in February, the company announced a collaboration with Google and Qualcomm to build the next XR experience. There hasn’t been much follow-up to it since then. The ongoing project made a brief appearance at Google’s I/O 2023 conference in May, and that’s it. Meanwhile, rumors surfaced that the device may debut in February 2024.

However, the launch of Apple’s Vision Pro in June (scheduled to arrive in early 2024) reportedly affected Samsung’s plans. The Korean firm has gone back to the drawing board and is making significant changes to the design and specs of its XR headset. These changes may delay the launch by around six months, pushing it to the second half of next year.

Unsurprisingly, Samsung avoided talking about its XR efforts during its Galaxy Unpacked event last week. However, Roh opened up on it in a press conference after the event. “We are not looking to be happy about launching a single product or creating an ecosystem for one company. Like smartphones, what we are doing is opening an XR ecosystem,” Roh said. “We are expecting an announcement in the not-too-far-off future.”

Samsung and Apple expect the XR headset market to fly soon

The Samsung executive opined that the XR industry will grow “in the vein of smartphones” in the coming years, ZDNet reports. Apple sees a similar future where XR headsets will be as ubiquitous as smartphones and computers. However, the Korean firm may take a different path to that future than Apple. It may start small with XR experiences that rely on smartphones rather than independent content.

“For the short term, perhaps many features or experiences [in] mixed reality would be in connection with [the] smartphone,” Roh told CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco, hinting at Samsung’s current approach. The Korean firm has a long experience in VR and AR technologies, and so do Google and Qualcomm. However, getting multiple teams from multiple companies to work on a project together is easier said than done.

Apple has been reportedly working on the Vision Pro for more than seven years now. Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm’s joint venture is likely just a few years old. We might have to wait a while before the trio has something ready for public demonstration. Roh’s words may have suggested an imminent launch, but he said the same in February as well. Stick around to find out more about Samsung’s upcoming XR headset.