Google and Qualcomm Collaborate to Develop 'Android XR'
Challenging Apple and Meta, Who Released XR Devices First
Foreign Media Predicts Price Will Be Lower Than Vision Pro
Samsung Electronics has unveiled its extended reality (XR) headset device, ‘Project Muhan,’ scheduled for release next year. The device will be the first to feature an XR platform developed in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm. Users are expected to experience a unique interaction by conversing with Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) ‘Gemini’ while wearing the headset to explore information. With Samsung and Google revealing their XR headset, they are set to engage in full-scale competition with companies like Apple and Meta, which have already launched products in the market.
Samsung Electronics' XR headset device 'Project Muhan' scheduled for release next year / Photo by Samsung Electronics
On the 12th (local time), Samsung Electronics introduced the XR device ‘Project Muhan’ (hereafter Muhan) for the first time at the ‘XR Unlock’ event held at Google Campus in New York, USA. The event was conducted for developers by Samsung Electronics, Google, and Qualcomm. XR is a technology that provides experiences crossing between reality and virtual worlds by utilizing senses such as sight, hearing, and movement.
Muhan is scheduled for release in 2025 and, true to its name, aims to offer immersive experiences in spaces that transcend physical limits. It features a ‘passthrough’ function that allows users to see the external reality even while wearing the device, and it is equipped with multimodal sensors for natural recognition of the user.
At the event, the ‘Android XR’ platform, which will be first embedded in Muhan, was also unveiled. This platform was jointly developed through open collaboration by Samsung Electronics, Google, and Qualcomm, enabling users to interact with both external and virtual realities based on multimodal AI. Through Google Gemini, users can explore information and exchange responses conversationally, allowing it to function as an AI agent.
Android XR has enhanced scalability through open collaboration with existing Android, Open XR, virtual reality (VR), and mobile augmented reality (AR) communities. By securing third-party apps and service content, the platform’s scale is expected to expand further. It is anticipated to be applied to various form factors such as headsets and glasses that will be released after Muhan.
On the 12th (local time), at the 'XR Unlock' event held at the Google Campus in New York, USA, (right) Choi Won-jun, Vice President and Head of Development at Samsung Electronics MX Division, and Samir Samat, Head of Google's Android Ecosystem division, are shaking hands. Photo by Samsung Electronics
Choi Won-jun, Vice President and Head of Development at Samsung Electronics MX Division, who spoke at the event, said, "XR will open a completely new dimension by enabling interaction with technology without physical constraints while crossing between surrounding reality and virtual worlds." He added, "The combination of cutting-edge XR technology and multimodal AI that understands usage contexts has created perfect conditions for innovation in new form factors." He continued, "The Android XR platform has excellent scalability and the advantage of being applicable to various form factors. Based on the expanding ecosystem and broad content, it will provide users with richer experiences."
Kim Ki-hwan, Vice President of Samsung Electronics’ Immersive Solutions Development Team, also stated, "We focused on three core values to build the platform: immersive experiences through infinite visual content, interaction utilizing auditory and movement senses, and a platform pursuing open collaboration." At the event, Ziad Azga, Senior Vice President of Qualcomm XR and Spatial Computing, explained that the ‘Snapdragon XR2 Plus 2nd generation’ was developed for ‘Project Muhan.’
(Photo left) Apple Vision Pro (Photo right) Meta Quest 3 wearing photo / Photo by each company's homepage capture
With Samsung Electronics entering the fray, the XR market is expected to become a three-way competition among Apple, Meta, and Samsung Electronics. Apple released its XR operating system ‘visionOS’ equipped ‘Vision Pro’ earlier this year. Meta launched the affordable device ‘Meta Quest 3S’ in October, along with Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 2. Although the price of ‘Muhan’ has not yet been determined, Samsung Electronics is expected to compete on price competitiveness in the XR market. According to Bloomberg, it is anticipated to be priced lower than the Vision Pro. Apple Vision Pro starts at 4,990,000 KRW, and Meta’s ‘Meta Quest 3’ starts at 729,000 KRW.
According to global research firm Fortune Business Insights, the XR market was valued at $131.54 billion (approximately 188.5 trillion KRW) last year and is expected to reach $1.70696 trillion (approximately 2,446 trillion KRW) by 2032.
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