Samsung's recent Galaxy Unpacked event was a letdown if you were dead set on learning more about its mysterious new XR headset.
While the company expounded on Galaxy AI, gaming, a new lineup of Galaxy phones, and even a teaser of the Galaxy Edge, Project Moohan, as it's been dubbed, got only a passing mention — that is until this week.
In a recent exclusive with YouTuber Marques Brownlee, Samsung showed off Project Moohan and, well... it looks a lot like Apple's Vision Pro.
It has a glass front, similarly grey head straps, an external battery pack, and an input method similar to VisionOS. That's to say, a lot of Project Moohan is about what you would expect from a Vision Pro competitor.
A lot, but not everything, and there's one difference in particular that could put Apple on notice.
It's all about AI
Voice-controlled on-device AI could be a massive boon for headset UI.
AI might be in everything now, but I've long maintained that headsets are — buzz aside — actually the perfect place for it.
As Brownlee's exclusive video shows, Samsung seems to agree, which is why it integrates Google Gemini and some of its best features.
In the video, Brownlee walks through how Samsung integrates Google's Gemini to do quite a few things.
Much of that involves using the headset's interface. That means integrating features like Circle to Search, which will allow users to circle something and then automatically conduct a web search for it, as well as sophisticated voice commands.
Voice-controlled on-device AI could be a massive boon for headset UI.
Meta has already begun exploring that territory with Meta AI, but Gemini seems to be even more integrated and, most likely, more sophisticated.
That's great news for anyone who plans on buying a headset made by Samsung, but for competitors like Apple, it may spell trouble.
Due to on-device AI and other advantages, Samsung's early lead in this era's headset wars could propel it to victory over Apple. At least until Apple has an opportunity return fire with its on on-device AI.
The Vision Pro still hasn't taken the AI plunge
Apple has slowly but surely started integrating Apple Intelligence, its suite of ChatGPT-powered AI features, into all of its products, but one product is suspiciously absent: the Vision Pro. (The Vision Pro does have Siri, but not Apple Intelligence.)
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, new AI-powered VisionOS features are on the way, but there is no specific deadline.
In the meantime, both Meta and Samsung seem to be moving forward. Meta introduced Meta AI to the Quest a few months back, and while we don't know for sure, it likely has plans to expand.
And Samsung's headset, though there's still a lot we don't know, might be even more of a competitor to the Vision Pro than the Quest 3, especially if looks are any indication. There are rumors that it might even enter the field at a price point between Meta's Quest 3 and the Vision Pro, which means (effectively) it's gunning more at the latter.
If Samsung can make a headset with a UI and display quality that rivals the Vision Pro (preferably less heavy), consumers can decide which one to buy based on these factors.
While brand loyalty is strong, Apple might be unable to justify a $1,000 premium, especially if Project Moohan is easier to use and, thanks to AI, feels more cutting-edge.
The race is on
Again, there's still a lot we don't know about Project Moohan and Apple's AI plans, but if Apple delays using AI to streamline Vision OS or fails to connect the dots in a way that makes sense to users, a Gemini-powered headset could give Samsung the edge.
And maybe even scarier for Apple is that it's likely that not just Samsung's headset would gain an advantage. Android XR, the operating system for Project Moohan jointly developed by Google and Samsung, will likely be used in other headsets once it finally rolls out.
That's huge for anyone not named Apple who makes a headset. However, for Apple, it might be more of an existential threat.
We'll have to wait and see what transpires in the XR and AI world — a lot can change quickly — but it looks like Samsung and Android XR could have the upper hand right now.
AI might not be a great fit for everything we do, but Apple might want to consider whether Samsung can deliver a headset and a genuinely easier platform.
