Samsung’s New Android XR Headset: Reasons to Be Excited

With the Apple Vision Pro around for quite some time now, it’s been a while since any other company has jumped on the mixed-reality headset bandwagon. Well, not anymore; the Google-Samsung duo has stepped into action with its much-anticipated collaboration. The partnership includes everything you can think of, including headsets, glasses, and several other undisclosed entities.

For now, Samsung’s upcoming headset, Project Moohan, is out in the wild, bringing with it many concrete details about the Google-Samsung partnership. More importantly, it debuts Android XR (XR stands for Extended Reality), which will pave the way for other headsets to serve as their operating system. Read along to learn more about the next big thing in the mixed-reality space.

Everything About Project Moohan

Samsung’s mixed-reality headset is named ‘Moohan,’ the Korean term for ‘infinity.’ Thanks to MKBHD, CNET, and The Verge, which got access to the unreleased device, we know precisely what Project Moohan is about. To begin with, it may look like a blatant copy of the Apple Vision Pro, but trust us, there’s a lot more to it.

Hardware-wise, yes, you might get deja vu seeing the headset because of how closely it resembles the Apple Vision Pro. The curves and aesthetics are very Apple-like, and we get it. But, when you notice it up close, you can tell Samsung put some thought into the product’s design and tried fixing a few of the issues on the Apple Vision Pro.

The front features a metal frame covered with a glass front that can let light in if you want, unlike the Vision Pro. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the Samsung headset doesn’t get the EyeSight feature found on the Vision Pro that projects the eye movement of the user onto the screen for outsiders to see. The metal frame includes a power button on the right, volume rockers on the left, and two ventilation grills at the center.

Samsung knows about the weight distribution issue of the Vision Pro and thus didn’t put a whole lot of components at the front. As per MKBHD’s testing, Samsung’s headset wasn’t as front-heavy as the Vision Pro. An additional attachment lets you add extra support below the headset and block even more ambient light, allowing it to give an immersive experience and sit well around your eyes.

Additionally, there’s a tightening screw at the back to ensure a secure fit, which would have otherwise been done using the elastic Solo Knit Band on the Vision Pro. The sides don’t go to waste here; they contain swipe sensors as a further means of input. Dismally, the cumbersome battery pack remains unfixed, as the Samsung headset also resorts to a wired battery pack meant to be carried around like Vision Pro’s. Thankfully, the other cable end is detachable and features a USB Type-C port, unlike the Vision Pro.

On the inside, speculation suggests that the Samsung Project Moohan headset supposedly houses the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset, which is what we had hoped for, thanks to Qualcomm’s contribution to the Google-Samsung partnership. While we wait for other details to be revealed since no reviewer is seemingly allowed to discuss them, MKBHD revealed that the headset’s internal display is only a notch inferior to the Vision Pro, which is liveable.

Android XR in All Its Glory

The software Project Moohan runs on isn’t OneUI or some other Samsung interface; it’s Google’s brand-new operating system for mixed-reality devices, Android XR. Since the hardware changes can be implemented relatively quickly, the software needs to be exceptional from the beginning to make it worthwhile for buyers to invest in the product and lay the foundation for future products based on it.

In other words, Android XR has a lot of weight on its shoulders to bear. It not only has to create positive initial impressions but also be polished and intuitive enough for other devices to implement. That’s right; Android XR will serve as the operating system for many other mixed-reality products, including headsets from different brands, smart glasses, and other products.

Truth be told, Android XR draws heavy inspiration from Apple’s visionOS. This is quite evident from how you place and resize windows, enter the 360-degree immersive mode, interact with UI elements using finger and vision-based inputs, and access apps and websites within the headset. Not only that, but the design philosophy is also quite similar if you ask us, but it still retains the clean Google look somehow.

As mentioned above, the Samsung Project Moohan headset resorts to finger and vision-based input. It is an entirely standalone system featuring eye-tracking sensors on the inside, which also means you don’t have to hold separate controllers like those on the Meta Quest 3. Additionally, there’s also a swipe sensor on either side of the headset, but we are not sure what it’s used for.

The Google software magic makes Android XR different, which is also why many people choose Google Pixels over other Android smartphones. Let us get this straight: this headset has the best mixed-reality software implementation. The most significant plus point of Android XR is app compatibility. No, it doesn’t mean only a handful of apps are supported, but the entire suite of Android apps can run without any apparent issues.

That’s because the Samsung Project Moohan headset comes pre-loaded with the full-fledged Google Play Store, which provides an unmatched app experience. In contrast, the Apple Vision Pro can only run a few dozen apps in its current state. In fact, Google wants app developers to create even more compatible apps before the headset launches, which is thoughtful.

What else do we associate Google with? AI, of course. Android XR ports many of Google’s AI features, which is game-changing. Although the list is undoubtedly expected to grow very soon, the Samsung Project Moohan headset currently features Gemini Live, Circle to Search, and other basic features. The point is that the Vision Pro does not currently support any Apple Intelligence features, nor do we have any information as to when it will be compatible.

For now, we cannot appreciate Android XR enough. Google hasn’t just placed it there and forgot about it; they’ve put thought into it. Since Gemini is multi-modal like the new Siri, meaning it can understand both audio and visual inputs, you can look at something and ask Gemini about it. For instance, you can point at a picture of a place from a book or a picture and tell Gemini to take you there.

What’s Next in Android XR?

Android XR could prove to be among the most ambitious software of the decade, so its possibilities are beyond imagination. Since Android XR will serve as a base for other mixed-reality headset software, we can consider it the Stock Android version of Android UIs. In other words, you can expect more Android XR-based UIs to come up very soon.

Since Project Moohan isn’t limited to headsets, we can expect more devices running Android XR to launch in the near future. In fact, at the recent Galaxy Unpacked event held in January this year, where Samsung unveiled the rather uninteresting Galaxy S25 series, Samsung also teased its upcoming product lineup: the Project Moohan headset and a pair of smart glasses.

If you were following the tech space in 2013, you would know Google had already bet on the smart glasses concept and failed. However, with advancements in AI and mixed-reality headsets, Google is ready to enter the discontinued space again. In fact, Google has officially confirmed the launch of its pair of smart glasses and will soon begin testing them with a handful of users.

The future of Android XR seems promising, and even Google is leaving no stone unturned in promoting it. Google certainly doesn’t want to fail again, nor does Samsung after its arguably failed Gear VR headset that launched back in 2015. We can only hope for them to have learned from their past failures and improve upon them massively.

As we advance, we expect Android XR to not miss out on compatibility with other Android devices, such as Android smartphones, tablets, Chromebooks, and other smart devices. After all, connected tech is the future, and Google shouldn’t miss out on this golden opportunity. We also hope that Android XR will be easy to use, like Android on smartphones, despite packing all the bells and whistles of artificial and visual intelligence.

Project Moohan Launch Timeline: When Is It Coming?

Since everything is still in its primitive stages, pinpointing a launch date is next to impossible. However, it’s officially confirmed that the first products with Android XR are expected to launch in 2025. This means the Samsung Project Moohan headset should be available later this year, possibly at the Galaxy Unpacked event, where Samsung will also announce the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 smartphones.

We can speculate that Google smart glasses and products from other manufacturers will follow soon after. The pricing is undoubtedly going to be much more liberal than that of the Apple Vision Pro. Although not as cheap as the Meta Quest, it will hover around the $1,500-$2,000 price range, depending on the configuration options.

Tech Got Exciting Again

With Google, Samsung, and Qualcomm stepping into the mixed-reality space now, the space seems enthralling. The Apple Vision Pro was due for a worthy competitor, and it couldn’t have been any better than the Samsung Project Moohan headset. We are equally excited about the Google smart glasses, not just the headset, as they are undoubtedly going to be far more comfortable and effortless to use. It’s only a matter of time before we see the products being sold in the markets later this year.

Credits to the already-amazing Android XR, which will soon be the talk of the town in the world of next-generation operating systems. It will be interesting to see how Google implements more AI features in its newest software. After all, Android XR will be the software that other manufacturers will use for their mixed-reality implementations.