Samsung correctly identified exactly where Apple and Meta went wrong in their XR headsets and built the Galaxy XR to avoid those same pitfalls. As a result, a Galaxy XR is half the price of a Vision Pro and is somehow still the better product<\/a>.<\/p>\n What would make you buy an Android XR device?<\/p>\n 84 votes<\/p>\n Better hardware and displays<\/p>\n 17%<\/p>\n Robust app and software support<\/p>\n 19%<\/p>\n New form factors, like smart glasses<\/p>\n 18%<\/p>\n Lower costs<\/p>\n 31%<\/p>\n I won’t ever buy an Android XR product<\/p>\n 15%<\/p>\n Google and Samsung are nailing apps and content<\/p>\n C. Scott Brown \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n Apple made a critical error regarding apps and software on visionOS, the operating system that powers its Vision Pro. It allowed iOS and iPadOS apps to run on it even if they didn\u2019t have a dedicated visionOS equivalent. However, the company put the choice in the hands of developers \u2014 they could opt out if they wanted to, and many did. With respect to developers, this was the wrong move, and it\u2019s why critical apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify are completely unavailable on the Vision Pro headset.<\/p>\n The Vision Pro could\u2019ve had an ecosystem of nearly two million apps available on the iOS App Store, but instead, it has about 1.5 million compatible apps. That\u2019s a big number, but when the biggest apps like NFL and Roku opt out, users feel the hit. Google must have watched the visionOS App Store flop, because it ensured almost all Android apps can run on Android XR<\/a> devices, starting with the Samsung Galaxy XR.<\/p>\n Like iPad apps on the Vision Pro, Android apps on the Galaxy XR run in a small floating window that supports all of the headset\u2019s native input controls. It\u2019s essentially like using a tablet-sized window with hand and eye tracking in virtual reality. Unlike the Vision Pro experience, Android XR takes the situation out of developers\u2019 hands, ignoring some APIs that restrict size and supporting nearly all of the Google Play Store\u2019s over 3.5 million apps. The only Android apps that won\u2019t work on a Galaxy XR, and future Android XR devices, are those that need specific hardware bits, such as GPS or LiDAR.<\/p>\n Apple and Google approached porting smartphone apps to XR platforms differently, and as a consequence, my Vision Pro has fewer essential apps available than the Galaxy XR will. I find the Vision Pro\u2019s killer feature to be content consumption, but a video-watching device without Netflix and Roku is effectively dead-on-arrival.<\/p>\n Brady Snyder \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n Speaking of content, my Vision Pro is lacking there, too. The stunning movie theater simulation Apple shows off in demos is only available with the Apple TV app, meaning you\u2019ll need to watch content purchased through Apple to use it. If I want to watch Paramount+ content in the visionOS movie theater and on my Android phone, I\u2019ll need to subscribe twice.<\/p>\n Samsung\u2019s Galaxy XR doesn\u2019t just integrate with apps and streaming services better<\/a> \u2014 it also offers free trials of YouTube TV<\/a>, YouTube Premium, NBA League Pass, and Google Play Pass. You also get the Asteroid and NFL Pro Era games for free. These offers are only available through December 31, but they demonstrate Google and Samsung\u2019s partner-first approach to XR platforms. Apple tried to do it all on its own, and that\u2019s why the Vision Pro lives in an app and content desert.<\/p>\n Galaxy XR steals the best of Vision Pro and Quest Pro<\/p>\n C. Scott Brown \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n Samsung\u2019s improvements extend to the hardware, with a design that makes the headset feel more comfortable than the Vision Pro. It went with a hybrid facial interface, rather than an open or closed one. Facial interfaces determine how XR headsets interact with your face \u2014 open ones expand your peripheral vision and reduce facial pressure, while closed versions block light and create a physical seal around your face. The former is excellent for productivity, while the latter is preferred for immersiveness.<\/p>\n Typically, XR headsets have favored one option or the other. Meta used an open interface for the Quest Pro, a productivity-first device, while Apple used a closed interface for the content-first Vision Pro. Samsung smartly chose both for the Galaxy XR. It uses a plastic head strap with an open facial interface that rests on the wearer\u2019s forehead, with two light blockers that are removable. This decision alone makes the Galaxy XR more versatile than my Vision Pro.<\/p>\n Brady Snyder \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n This is what Apple Vision Pro looks like with no third-party accessories or modifications.<\/p>\n As a Vision Pro owner, I\u2019ve decided that I much prefer open interfaces to closed ones. It makes an XR headset feel more like an oversized pair of glasses or goggles rather than a closed-off device, expanding my perceived field of view. The Vision Pro\u2019s light seal is removable, but it\u2019s the only way the headset sits on your face, and thus, you can\u2019t wear the Vision Pro without it.<\/p>\n I\u2019m so sure that the Galaxy XR\u2019s hybrid interface with removable light blockers is the better option that I basically made it for my Vision Pro using a 3D printer and accessories. This project started before the Galaxy XR was even revealed, but my creation looks a lot like Samsung\u2019s finished product.<\/p>\n Brady Snyder \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n A 3D-printed facial interface and Annapro head strap installed on Apple Vision Pro. <\/p>\n I used a third-party Annapro head strap to add support from the top, and 3D-printed a facial interface that rests on my forehead with a cushion. This way, I can expand my Vision Pro\u2019s field of view and improve comfort for productivity tasks. I\u2019m content with this setup, but a $3,500 headset shouldn\u2019t need this much work to provide a solid experience. To install or remove these custom support pieces, I need to physically remove the side straps with a SIM-eject tool every time. It\u2019s simply not the experience I expect from a premium XR product.<\/p>\n It was already bad in isolation, but it really stings that Galaxy XR users get a more polished experience out of the box for half the price. I\u2019m glad Samsung learned from the hardships of Vision Pro owners!<\/p>\n Somehow, Galaxy XR has displays and hardware that make me jealous<\/p>\n C. Scott Brown \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n Apple\u2019s Vision Pro has a surprisingly small field of view, and that\u2019s part of the reason I tried so desperately to expand it on my headset. The displays aren\u2019t as good as they look on paper, either. The headset offers micro-OLED panels with a 4K-per-eye resolution that simply aren\u2019t good enough. Think about it: If I\u2019m using what feels like a 25-foot screen in virtual reality, the visuals won\u2019t be as sharp as a 27-inch 5K monitor.<\/p>\n Samsung hasn\u2019t completely solved this problem, but the Galaxy XR is firmly the new industry-leader in XR displays. The screens have a 3,552 x 3,840 resolution and 29 million total pixels, which is six million more than Vision Pro. If that wasn\u2019t enough, the Galaxy XR covers 96% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, and it\u2019s more color-accurate than the Vision Pro. Apple doesn\u2019t share the official Vision Pro horizontal field of view, but it\u2019s estimated to be around 100 degrees. If that figure is correct, Galaxy XR surpasses it with a field of view of 109 degrees.<\/p>\n That\u2019s more than just a specs dump. For every single display aspect my Vision Pro has disappointed me in, the Galaxy XR has a hardware improvement that will deliver better visuals for wearers. It\u2019s worth noting that Apple\u2019s M3 or M5 processors are a better raw performer than the Galaxy XR\u2019s Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2<\/a>. However, I\u2019ve struggled to find many situations where the Vision Pro actually leverages that extra power outside of its higher 120Hz display refresh rate.<\/p>\n Samsung and Google prove patience is a virtue<\/p>\n Lanh Nguyen \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n With the Galaxy XR, Samsung and Google used Apple\u2019s typical strategy against it. Android XR and Galaxy XR are the result of the two companies waiting for the XR space to develop, seeing what works and what doesn\u2019t, and designing their operating system and headset accordingly. They\u2019re proving patience is a virtue, because Samsung\u2019s Galaxy XR is making my Vision Pro feel outdated just one year later, and while costing much less.<\/p>\n Apple should\u2019ve waited until the Vision Pro was more mature. I guess I probably should have, too.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t want to miss the best from Android Authority?<\/p>\n![\"Samsung](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Samsung-Galaxy-XR-Launch-Google-Apps.jpg\"\/ "\\"Samsung")
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