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Google, Samsung, and Qualcomm have jointly introduced Android XR, an operating system for mixed reality headsets and glasses — including an initial device from Samsung.
The long-in-the-making platform is effectively Google’s approach to spatial computing like that in the Apple Vision Pro and newer updates to the Meta Quest 3. Apps and media have a physical presence, and can blend both the real and digital worlds. You can watch a YouTube video on a large virtual screen, explore 3D photos, or juggle multiple Chrome browsers floating in front of you.
Google is unsurprisingly giving Gemini a prominent role in Android XR. You can talk to the generative AI about what you see, or use it to control your hardware. Circle to Search even becomes more intuitive as you can literally draw a circle around whatever interests you.
As on the Vision Pro, you can also run mobile apps (in this case, Android phone and tablet apps).
With smart glasses, the OS will focus on always-available and frequently Gemini-powered help, like navigation or translations. Google’s just-announced tests for prototype Project Astra glasses will run Android XR.
The new OS is already available in a preview release, and will use common developer tools like Android Studio, Android Studio, OpenXR, and Unity. Google is working with companies like Sony and Xreal on XR devices, and is still collaborating with early entrant Magic Leap on future products.
Samsung’s Project Moohan is the first Android XR headset
The first confirmed device is Samsung’s Project Moohan (pictured above), a mixed reality headset that will be available in 2025. While neither Google nor Samsung are sharing many details, it will have “state-of-the-art” displays and “natural” control whose voice input goes beyond hand gestures and controllers. Qualcomm adds that it will run on a Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset launching in 2025.
Samsung appears determined to address the comfort issues that have affected the Vision Pro. It’s promising a light, “ergonomically optimized” headset that you’ll want to wear.
There are still challenges that Samsung hasn’t addressed so far. It’s not clear whether or not Project Moohan will significantly undercut Apple’s current $3,499 starting price. Battery life is also a concern — existing high-end mixed reality headsets rarely last for more than two hours per charge.
How does Android XR compare to the Apple Vision Pro?
The interface and experience similarities between Apple, Google, and Meta platforms are clear in conventional headsets — they’re aiming for the same general spatial computing concept.
However, there are differences in the smart glasses category. Meta’s experimental Orion glasses appear to be more of an extension of the app-oriented interface from the Quest. Apple is rumored to be making its own glasses, but little has emerged about them. Practical eyewear is believed to be years away as the companies focus on slimming the technology, improving battery life, and bringing costs down.
More importantly, Google is pitching Android XR as an open ecosystem for headsets and glasses. As with phones and tablets, this promises to expand the variety of devices you can buy, with different designs and prices. It might also allow for apps that aren’t possible on more closed platforms like Apple’s visionOS.
