Summary
- Oct 21 “Worlds Wide Open” unveils Project Moohan — Samsung’s first Android XR headset.
- Built with Google and Qualcomm, Android XR is AI-optimized and powers standalone AR/VR devices.
- Details are under wraps; reserve to get a $100 credit — not a phone, this is a new headset category.
I know we’ve probably had way too many Samsung events. But they’re never enough. And apparently, we’re getting one more this year—and it’s not for phones, laptops, or earbuds, for a change.
Samsung has officially announced its next major launch event, titled “Worlds Wide Open,” scheduled to stream live on Tuesday, October 21, at 10 p.m. ET. For a change, it doesn’t appear to be named Unpacked, and that’s probably because we’re not getting a phone or a tablet. Instead, Samsung is unveiling a brand-new category—a headset powered by Android XR. The company will unveil its long-awaited “Project Moohan” headset, poised to be the first product built on the Android XR platform, a significant collaborative effort between Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm.
According to Samsung’s announcement, the platform has been “optimized with AI from the start to scale across form factors.” The company has not offered specific details about the hardware, and they will remain under wraps until next week’s event, but Samsung has stated that the product aims to “blend everyday utility with immersive new experiences.” The company also stated that customers who reserve the forthcoming Galaxy device will be eligible for a $100 credit, which can be applied toward the purchase of other eligible products. Hopefully, the fact it’s just $100 means it will not be that expensive. A man can dream.
We’ve seen pretty much everything Samsung had in store hardware-wise for this year, so we’re not really expecting anything other than the final announcement of Project Moohan. This is the first time Samsung has released a headset in a while. Samsung’s most well-known VR product before this was the Gear VR, a device that turned a Samsung Galaxy smartphone into a virtual reality headset. It was first introduced in 2014 as an “Innovator Edition” before a full consumer launch in 2015, and it was a collaborative effort with Oculus, the company behind the Rift headset. It operated by having users snap a compatible Samsung smartphone, such as a Galaxy S or Note series device, into the front of the headset, thus using the phone’s display and processing power to create the VR experience.
Then, we had the HMD Odyssey range, which featured dual AMOLED displays with a higher resolution than many of its contemporaries, built-in AKG headphones for immersive audio, and inside-out tracking, which meant it didn’t require external sensors to be set up in a room. This will be something more akin to Apple’s Vision Pro headset, in that it’s an independent device with AR/VR capabilities. It will also serve as the pilot device for a range of Android XR-powered headsets by other manufacturers—this will be just the first one.
We’ll learn more next week, so stay tuned for our coverage.
Source: Samsung