Samsung unveils Galaxy XR at $1,799 with Android XR and Gemini AI integration

Samsung Electronics unveiled Galaxy XR on October 21, 2025 (USA) and October 22, 2025 (Korea), marking the first device built on the Android XR platform. The headset, priced at $1,799 or $149 per month, integrates Gemini AI at the system level and features a Micro-OLED display with 3,552 x 3,840 resolution per eye.

The device represents a collaborative effort between Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm Technologies. "With Galaxy XR, Samsung is introducing a brand-new ecosystem of mobile devices," said Won-Joon Choi, Chief Operating Officer of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. "Built on Android XR, Galaxy XR expands the vision for mobile AI into a new frontier of immersive and meaningful possibilities, allowing XR to move from concept to everyday reality, for both the industry and users."

Android XR combines Gemini's capabilities with environmental awareness, creating what Google calls the first Android platform built entirely for the Gemini era. "Through our partnership with Samsung, Android XR will unlock entirely new ways to explore, connect and create, building an open, unified platform for the next evolution of computing," said Sameer Samat, President of Android Ecosystem at Google.

Technical specifications and hardware design

Galaxy XR runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 platform, delivering 27 million pixels across dual Micro-OLED displays. Each display measures 6.3-micron pixel pitch with 95% DCI-P3 color coverage. The headset supports refresh rates of 60Hz, 72Hz (default), and up to 90Hz upon service request. Field of view spans 109 degrees horizontal and 100 degrees vertical.

The device includes 16GB of memory and 256GB of storage. Battery performance allows up to 2 hours of general use and 2.5 hours of video playback. Users can operate the device while charging. The headset weighs 545 grams with the forehead cushion, excluding the separate 302-gram battery pack.

Samsung engineered the headset with ergonomic considerations. The frame distributes pressure across the forehead and back of the head, minimizing facial discomfort during extended use. A detachable light shield offers comfort when removed and deeper immersion by blocking external light when attached. The separate battery pack design makes the device more compact and comfortable.

Camera and sensor arrays enable precise tracking. The device features two high-resolution pass-through cameras, six world-facing tracking cameras, four eye-tracking cameras, five inertial measurement units, one depth sensor, and one flicker sensor. An 18mm F2.0 camera with 6.5-megapixel resolution supports 3D photo and video capture, though resolution may vary depending on use case.

Audio hardware includes two 2-way speakers (woofer and tweeter) and six microphones arranged in an array. Multiple microphones support beamforming features depending on the use case. The device supports video playback up to UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) at 60fps with HDR10 and HLG, utilizing codecs including H.263, H.264, HEVC, MV-HEVC, MPEG-4, VC-1, VP8, VP9, and AV1.

Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 7 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be) and Bluetooth 5.4. Interpupillary distance adjustment ranges from 54mm to 70mm. Vision correction requires separately purchasable optical inserts. Iris recognition enables device unlocking and password entry in certain applications.

Android XR platform and ecosystem

Android XR operates as an open, scalable platform designed to work across multiple form factors, from headsets to AI glasses. The platform has Gemini embedded at the system level rather than as an added feature. This integration enables the AI assistant to understand users' surroundings by seeing what they see and hearing what they hear.

"Galaxy XR embodies our vision for the future, where the synergy of AI and XR transforms the possibilities of personal computing," said Alex Katouzian, Group GM of Mobile, Compute & XR at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "We're thrilled to be collaborating on this initiative, as Galaxy XR will help to bring new use cases across various industries and pave the way for exciting multi-device experiences, all enabled by our work with Samsung and Google."

The platform supports OpenXR, WebXR, and Unity standards, enabling developers to bring experiences to Galaxy XR with reduced friction. All apps built on the Android platform work out of the box on Galaxy XR, ensuring users can access familiar mobile experiences. Developers using OpenXR, WebXR, or Unity can scale their work across the ecosystem.

Google Play provides access to applications ranging from streaming services to productivity tools. Gemini integration has been central to Google's 2025 strategy across multiple products, including advertising fraud detection where it achieved a 40% reduction in deceptive ads. The AI assistant operates through natural conversation, allowing users to control devices and create automations using natural language.

Available applications include streaming services such as Crunchyroll, HBO Max, and Peacock. Google applications reimagined for XR include Google Maps, Google Photos, YouTube, Google TV, Chrome, and Meet. Immersive games come from studios including Mirrorscape, Owlchemy Labs, and Resolution Games. Over 50 new experiences made for XR launched from Adobe, Calm, Fox Sports, and MLB.

Gemini AI capabilities and interaction

Gemini Live functions as an integrated companion rather than a separate tool. The AI assistant understands context by processing what users see and hear, enabling conversational interactions that feel natural. Users can manage tasks, control the interface, and receive assistance through voice, hands, and eye movements.

When watching basketball highlights, users can ask about player statistics and receive real-time information. While exploring Google Maps in 3D with Immersive View, users can look at landmarks like the Colosseum and ask about the building's history for instant answers. Circle to Search works on virtual objects or real-world items, providing information from the web without interrupting workflow.

For workspace organization, users can say "Hey Google, organize these windows," and Gemini instantly arranges applications into a structured layout. The AI assistant serves as a creative partner during brainstorming sessions, understanding context from what users are viewing. Google has expanded Gemini capabilities across its product ecosystem, including Chrome's major upgrade on September 18, 2025.

The AI integration demonstrates capabilities developed through Google DeepMind's work. Image generation improvements in Gemini launched on August 26, 2025, featured character consistency preservation and conversational editing. These technical foundations support Galaxy XR's multimodal AI approach.

Content experiences and applications

YouTube offers the world's largest library of immersive 180 and 360-degree VR content. A new spatial tab presents content that creators have converted to 3D. Google TV provides movies on a massive, resizable screen that transforms any room into a private theater. The 4K Micro-OLED displays deliver visual clarity for entertainment consumption.

Google Photos converts existing 2D photos and videos into 3D, enabling users to step into memories. The auto-spatialization feature brings visual content to life through three-dimensional rendering. Quality and availability of spatialization may vary based on original media.

Google Maps with Immersive View enables exploration of the world in 3D. Users can walk Tokyo streets before booking trips, soar over the Grand Canyon, or revisit old neighborhoods. The navigation experience combines mapping data with spatial rendering. Similar immersive features have appeared across Google's product line, including the Nano Banana image editing model that expanded to Search and NotebookLM on October 13, 2025.

Sports enthusiasts can watch multiple games simultaneously, feeling present in the stadium. The Explorer Pack includes access to the 2025-2026 NBA League Pass in the United States or 12 months of Coupang Play Sports Pass in Korea. Status Pro's NFL PRO ERA provides additional sports experiences.

Gaming applications deliver immersive experiences with AI-enhanced gameplay. Users can chat with Gemini for real-time coaching, tips, and strategy guidance while playing XR-specialized games. The Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 processor and Qualcomm Hexagon NPU enable advanced AI through on-device processing.

Workspace and productivity features

Galaxy XR creates unlimited virtual screen space for productivity applications. Users can arrange multiple applications at any size around them in a massive, private environment. Chrome tabs can be organized in an arc, documents positioned for optimal viewing, and music apps placed within reach.

Google Meet calls display video tiles that users can expand to read expressions clearly. The system supports keyboard and mouse pairing or PC linking for complete desktop experiences. Adobe's Project Pulsar provides immersive video editing capabilities, while TopHatch's Concepts application offers sketching tools. Both applications launched alongside Galaxy XR.

Project Pulsar enables cinematic video editing in three dimensions. Users can add 3D depth, layer captions behind subjects, and work on a larger-than-life canvas. The spatial editing environment provides new workflows for content creators. Creative professionals can manipulate video elements with depth perception that traditional editing environments cannot provide.

Chrome's Gemini integration on September 18, 2025 introduced agentic browsing capabilities and multi-tab analysis across Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS. These features complement Galaxy XR's productivity focus, though the headset provides spatial computing advantages for certain workflows.

Enterprise applications address training, virtual collaboration, and design workflows. Samsung partnered with Samsung Heavy Industries to utilize Galaxy XR for virtual shipbuilding training, improving work productivity and safety. Qualcomm Technologies' Snapdragon Spaces technology enables developers to create business solutions optimized for Android XR through an Enterprise ISV ecosystem.

Distribution and Explorer Pack offer

Galaxy XR became available on October 21, 2025, in the United States and October 22, 2025, in Korea. Purchases can be made through Samsung.com and Samsung Experience stores in both markets. Demo sessions are available at Samsung stores and select Google Stores in New York and California.

The Explorer Pack provides a limited-time all-access bundle. Included subscriptions cover 12 months of Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium, and Google Play Pass. United States customers receive a $1 per month trial of YouTube TV for 3 months, while Korean customers get 6 months of TVING Premium. Sports content varies by region: NBA League Pass for the 2025-2026 season in the United States or 12 months of Coupang Play Sports Pass in Korea. Application access includes Status Pro's NFL PRO ERA, Project Pulsar from Adobe, Asteroid, and Calm. Terms apply to all Explorer Pack offerings.

The monthly payment option at $149 makes the device accessible through installment purchasing. This pricing strategy positions Galaxy XR between consumer-focused devices and professional equipment. Samsung's advertising business has expanded across multiple platforms, with partnerships like Publica renewed on September 30, 2025, reaching 88 million monthly active users through Samsung TV Plus.

Future form factors and partnerships

Samsung confirmed development of multiple XR form factors, including AI glasses. The company partnered with Warby Parker, known for leveraging technology in eyewear design. Warby Parker brings experience creating beautifully-designed eyewear with exceptional customer experiences to the collaboration.

Gentle Monster joined as a partner for stylish, fashion-forward eyewear. The collaboration blends AI-native technology with cultural influence and design leadership. Both partnerships aim to create devices that seamlessly connect to the Android XR ecosystem while maintaining style, comfort, and practicality for daily use.

AI glasses represent Samsung's broader XR roadmap, extending beyond headset form factors. These devices will integrate advanced XR capabilities while prioritizing wearability for everyday scenarios. The Android XR ecosystem enables consistency across different device types, from immersive headsets to lightweight glasses.

Marketing implications for advertising professionals

Galaxy XR creates a new advertising inventory category within Samsung's growing advertising business. The company's advertising division operates across 25 countries, serving promotional content to hundreds of millions of smart devices. Samsung experienced double-digit percentage gross revenue growth from 2023 to 2024 on supply-side platforms.

The Android XR platform's openness enables third-party application development, including advertising-supported experiences. Google Play's integration ensures established monetization models transfer to XR environments. Android's advertising infrastructure has undergone significant changes, with Google retiring most Privacy Sandbox technologies on October 17, 2025, following low adoption rates.

Spatial computing environments present distinct challenges for advertisers. Traditional banner formats do not translate to three-dimensional interfaces. Native integration requires rethinking creative development, placement strategies, and measurement methodologies. Immersive advertising formats on Yelp launched with augmented reality menu scanning on October 21, 2025, demonstrating market movement toward spatial experiences.

YouTube's integration within Galaxy XR extends connected TV advertising patterns into virtual environments. The IAB Tech Lab identified six critical technical barriers for CTV advertising on August 5, 2025, including standardization challenges. Similar technical standards will need development for XR advertising as the platform scales.

The $1,799 price point targets early adopters and enterprise users rather than mass consumer markets. This positioning influences advertising reach and audience characteristics. Early XR users typically demonstrate higher technical sophistication and discretionary spending compared to broader consumer segments.

Samsung's "Screens Everywhere" strategy extends advertising opportunities across device categories. The company confirmed advertisements on Family Hub refrigerators costing over $1,800 in September 2025. This approach treats screens as advertising inventory regardless of device category, though consumer reception remains mixed.

Data collection capabilities within XR environments enable detailed behavioral tracking. Google Gemini gained automatic Android access to phone and messaging data on July 7, 2025. According to Google's privacy policy updated June 11, 2025, user data collected through these services "is used for AI training and potentially reviewed by human reviewers (including service providers)."

Eye-tracking technology in Galaxy XR provides attention metrics unavailable in traditional media. Four eye-tracking cameras monitor gaze direction and dwell time, creating granular engagement data. This capability enables new measurement approaches for advertisers while raising privacy considerations around biometric data collection.

The platform's open architecture supports third-party measurement providers. Marketers will require verification systems similar to those developed for mobile and CTV environments. In-app advertising analysis from September 2024 showed customers acquired through in-app ads demonstrate significantly higher engagement rates compared to social media channels.

Industry context and competitive positioning

The XR market has seen multiple hardware launches from competing manufacturers. Meta continues developing Quest headsets, Apple released Vision Pro in early 2024, and various manufacturers produce Windows Mixed Reality devices. Galaxy XR differentiates through Android XR's open ecosystem and Gemini AI integration.

Google's broader AI strategy across products includes search, advertising, and productivity tools. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority designated Google with Strategic Market Status after a nine-month investigation, finding substantial market power in search. This regulatory context influences how Android XR's ecosystem develops.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 platform provides the processing foundation. The chip manufacturer has positioned itself across multiple XR devices from various manufacturers. This component-level approach enables technical consistency across Android XR devices while allowing differentiation through software and industrial design.

Developer adoption will determine ecosystem viability. Unity, OpenXR, and WebXR support reduces friction for existing VR content creators. However, creating compelling native XR experiences requires different design approaches than traditional mobile or desktop applications. Performance Max campaigns integration with Gemini on February 23, 2024, demonstrated how AI capabilities can simplify creative asset creation.

Enterprise applications represent a significant opportunity. Virtual training, remote collaboration, and design visualization address business needs beyond consumer entertainment. Samsung's partnership with Samsung Heavy Industries for virtual shipbuilding training demonstrates industrial use cases. These applications justify higher device costs through productivity improvements and safety enhancements.

The 88 million monthly active users on Samsung TV Plus demonstrate the company's ability to build engaged audiences across new platforms. Translating this success to XR requires different content strategies and user acquisition approaches. Connected TV advertising spending approaches $33.35 billion in 2025, with 72% of marketers planning increased programmatic investment.

Technical infrastructure and standards

Android XR's foundation on Android Open Source Project enables familiar development workflows. Applications built for Android smartphones and tablets function on Galaxy XR without modification, though optimized experiences require XR-specific development. This compatibility approach mirrors strategies used in other platform expansions.

Cloud-to-Cloud APIs and Matter protocol support enable integration with smart home ecosystems. Over 800 million devices already connect through Works with Google Home program. Gemini replaced Google Assistant on smart home devices on October 1, 2025, bringing conversational AI capabilities to speakers and displays.

Network requirements for optimal performance remain unspecified in available documentation. Cloud gaming, 3D content streaming, and AI processing may require substantial bandwidth. Wi-Fi 7 support enables high-speed local connectivity, though real-world performance depends on network infrastructure.

Content delivery networks will need optimization for XR applications. Video streaming at 4K per eye generates significant data transfer requirements. Adaptive bitrate streaming and predictive loading techniques developed for mobile and CTV environments apply to XR but require tuning for head-tracking behaviors and field of view rendering.

Timeline

• October 15, 2025: Google announced open source MCP server for Ads API integration enabling AI tools to query advertising campaigns
• October 13, 2025: Nano Banana image editing model launched in Google Search and NotebookLM bringing Gemini 2.5 Flash capabilities to more platforms after generating 5 billion images
• October 1, 2025: Gemini for Home launched, replacing Google Assistant on smart home speakers and displays
• September 30, 2025: Samsung Ads and Publica renewed CTV partnership extending connected TV advertising infrastructure across global markets
• September 18, 2025: Chrome received major AI upgrade with Gemini integration across desktop and mobile platforms
• August 27, 2025: IAB Tech Lab outlined critical CTV advertising standards identifying six technical barriers preventing programmatic potential
• August 26, 2025: Google advanced image generation in Gemini with character consistency features and conversational editing
• August 20, 2025: Samsung mobile cloud gaming platform expanded to Europe with Moloco partnership for AI-powered advertising
• August 16, 2025: Google deployed Gemini AI to combat ad fraud achieving 40% reduction in deceptive advertising practices
• July 7, 2025: Google Gemini app gained automatic Android access to phone and messaging data with updated privacy policy
• October 21, 2025: Samsung announced Galaxy XR headset in the United States
• October 22, 2025: Samsung announced Galaxy XR headset in Korea

Summary

Who: Samsung Electronics partnered with Google and Qualcomm Technologies to develop Galaxy XR. Won-Joon Choi serves as Chief Operating Officer of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. Sameer Samat leads Android Ecosystem at Google. Alex Katouzian operates as Group GM of Mobile, Compute & XR at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

What: Galaxy XR is the first device built on Android XR platform, featuring Gemini AI integration at the system level, Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 processor, 16GB memory, 256GB storage, dual Micro-OLED displays with 3,552 x 3,840 resolution per eye, and 27 million total pixels. The device weighs 545 grams with separate 302-gram battery pack, supports 2.5 hours of video playback, includes extensive camera and sensor arrays for tracking, and enables both fully immersive virtual environments and pass-through views of physical surroundings.

When: Samsung announced Galaxy XR on October 21, 2025, for the United States market and October 22, 2025, for Korea. The device became available for purchase on the same dates through Samsung.com and Samsung Experience stores. Demo sessions opened at Samsung stores and select Google Stores in New York and California.

Where: Galaxy XR launched in the United States and Korea initially. Purchase options include Samsung.com and Samsung Experience stores in both markets. Demonstrations are available at Samsung retail locations and select Google Store locations in New York and California. The device operates through cloud connectivity and local processing rather than requiring specific geographic limitations for functionality.

Why: Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm created Android XR to establish an open, scalable platform for extended reality computing. The partnership addresses fragmentation in XR markets through standardized development tools including OpenXR, WebXR, and Unity support. Galaxy XR demonstrates the platform's capabilities while providing access to Google's application ecosystem through Google Play. Gemini AI integration enables natural interaction through voice, hand gestures, and eye tracking. The device targets early adopters, enterprise training applications, creative professionals requiring spatial computing workflows, and consumers interested in immersive entertainment experiences. Pricing at $1,799 or $149 monthly positions the device between consumer gadgets and professional equipment.