Will Samsung and Apple Reveal Secret Weapons This Year... Leading the XR Market

Samsung Electronics and Apple are clashing in the extended reality (XR) market. These companies see great growth potential in the XR market and are focusing on developing wearable devices such as MR headsets, glasses, and smart rings.

Apple will hold its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) next month on the 5th (local time) at its headquarters, Apple Park, located in Cupertino, California. At this event, Apple is expected to unveil the MR headset "Reality Pro" and the software platform "xrOS" that powers it. This MR device is Apple's first new hardware product in eight years since the launch of the Apple Watch in 2015. The device is reported to feature a mixed reality dedicated chip, more than 10 internal and external cameras, and an 8K high-resolution OLED display. Industry insiders expect Apple to price this device at $3,000 (approximately 3.96 million KRW). Bloomberg reported that xrOS will offer functions including gaming, sports and movie viewing, and fitness.

[Photo by Ianzelbo Homepage Capture]

Samsung is also preparing an XR headset in partnership with Google and Qualcomm. In February, Samsung filed a trademark application for "Galaxy Glassis" with the Korean Intellectual Property Office. XR is a comprehensive term for mixed reality (MR) technology that encompasses virtual reality (VR), which creates a new reality based on 360-degree video, and augmented reality (AR), which virtually displays information and content over objects. XR headsets connect the boundaries between reality and virtuality. Samsung Electronics’ XR device is also expected to be unveiled as early as this year. Meta plans to introduce its next-generation XR headset by the end of this year.

Both Samsung and Apple are also developing smart rings. A smart ring is a simple remote controller worn on the finger. Samsung Electronics filed a trademark application for a device called "Galaxy Ring" with the Korean Intellectual Property Office. The Galaxy Ring is a device that can monitor health conditions in real time, such as heart rate, electrocardiogram, and activity levels. It is also used to control smartphones, tablets, TVs, and more. Furthermore, if the smart ring and XR device are interconnected and create synergy, they could play a role differentiated from existing watches.

Samsung has also moved to secure micro OLED technology used in XR devices. Samsung Display recently signed an acquisition agreement to purchase all shares of Imagine, a company possessing micro OLED technology, for $218 million (approximately 290 billion KRW). Micro OLED is a next-generation display used in XR devices that can achieve ultra-high resolution despite its small size of about one inch.

Last month, Apple filed a patent application with the U.S. Patent Office related to a skin-to-skin contact detection system presumed to be applied to the "Apple Ring." The Apple Ring is expected to include a touch detection sensor that allows convenient use of the iPhone through specific touch gestures. Currently, Finnish company Oura sells a smart ring that analyzes sleep status and heart rate. Its price ranges from 400,000 to 500,000 KRW. Market research firm Research and Markets forecast that the smart ring market, which was $5 million (660 million KRW) last year, will grow to $23 million (3.03 billion KRW) by 2030.