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Rumors from South Korea suggest that Samsung may be gearing up for some ambitious plans regarding its extended reality (XR) venture, targeting 2025 as a major milestone.
According to the South Korean outlet Sedaily, “industry sources” hint that Samsung plans to begin “mass production” of an XR product in the second half of 2025. The company reportedly sees its XR business as a possible revenue driver following its successful smartphone lineup. Speculation points to this product being Samsung’s long-rumored AR glasses.
Samsung’s production timeline indicates a possible Q3 2025 launch, with reports suggesting an initial run of about 20,000 AR glasses. That number could climb if the glasses perform well in the market. If things go according to plan, Samsung might roll out an additional batch of around 30,000 units in Q4 2025, potentially hitting a total of 50,000 devices by year-end. Of course, these figures are flexible and will likely depend on demand and other market dynamics.
Insiders also claim Samsung aims to preview a “sample” of its XR product during its January 2025 Unpacked event, giving an early glimpse of its upcoming product. Nothing’s confirmed yet, but the sneak peek could come in the form of a “short video” or maybe just an image tease. Samsung seems to be zeroing in on smart glasses similar to Meta’s Ray-Bans rather than going the Apple Vision Pro route. It’s a move that could position them uniquely in the XR space.
While the Galaxy S25 will undoubtedly steal the spotlight at Samsung’s Unpacked event in mid-January, there’s talk of a few other surprises in the mix. The Galaxy S25 Slim—a super-thin version of the S25 designed to go head-to-head with Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Air.
Tech firms struggling in the XR market
Apple made its move into the XR market earlier this year with the launch of the Vision Pro in February. However, with Apple’s sales off to a slow start and LG Electronics stepping away from its XR project with Meta, it’s clear that even the biggest players in tech are finding the XR space a tough nut to crack. ReadWrite reported in June that Apple had actually halted work on its next Vision Pro headset due to slowing sales, focusing on a cheaper alternative instead.
Challenges like a lack of engaging content, bulky device designs, and sky-high prices are proving to be serious hurdles the XR industry needs to overcome to truly take off. It’s a tough landscape, even for the titans of the tech world.
Featured image: Ideogram
