Last week, I got to spend some time with Samsung’s newest device, a mixed reality headset called the Galaxy XR. This is the “Project Moohan” product Samsung has been working on for ages to take on the Apple Vision Pro. It’s an important launch for the company, and it’s even priced to compete — well, sort of. At $1,799, it’s about half the price of Apple’s headset, which is certainly good news, but still a massive amount of money.
I’ve already talked extensively about what the Galaxy XR is and what it’s like to use it. In this article, though, I want to talk about something I realized almost immediately after my demo with the headset: this isn’t really a Samsung device.
I know, that sounds weird. It has the word “Galaxy” in its name, and the hardware is clearly the result of Samsung’s incredible manufacturing and engineering. But the soul of the machine, the actual experience of using it? That’s all Google.
When I hear “Samsung Galaxy,” I have a very clear set of expectations. I expect to see things like One UI, Samsung’s heavy-handed-but-feature-packed Android skin. I expect to find Samsung-made apps, Galaxy AI features, and maybe even a stray Bixby command. Hell, I at least expect to see the words “Samsung” or “Galaxy” somewhere on the device itself.
That is not what this is. What I used felt less like a Samsung product and more like the first-ever Google Pixel XR headset, one that Samsung just happened to build.
Will you buy the Samsung Galaxy XR? 246 votes Yes, I already have my pre-order! 8 % Probably; I'm waiting for reviews 15 % I don't think I will, but might change my mind 26 % No, I won't ever buy this 51 %
The Google experience on a ‘Galaxy’ device
Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority
During my demo session with the Galaxy XR, I was looking for traces of One UI. I was waiting for the familiar app icons, the Samsung settings menu, and yeah, even the bloatware. They never came. This got me thinking about the Galaxy XR keynote launch, and I realized there were no Samsung apps or features mentioned there, either.
For a Samsung product, the Galaxy XR has very little Samsung to it.
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