Samsung Electronics delays XR headset due to Apple Vision Pro: sources

Apple Inc.’s Vision Pro [Photo provided by Apple]

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. has reportedly put off the release of its eXtended Reality (XR) headset that was scheduled for July 26 as it needs more time for development to go head-to-head with Apple Inc. that announced the high-end Vision Pro in May

According to multiple sources from the information technology (IT) industry on Sunday, Samsung Electronics has revised its strategy and decided not to unveil its XR headset at the “Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023” slated for July 26. The company has decided that it needs more time for development.

“Samsung completely revamped its strategy after Apple announced its incredibly expensive $3,499 headset in May,” said an unnamed industry official. “The unveiling date for the new headset has been pushed back to as early as early next year.”

Samsung Electronics had initially planned to develop a headset that matches Meta Platforms Inc.’s general-purpose headset Quest. It has decided to spend more time on development to compete with Apple.

Meta Platforms currently dominates the global headset market with an 81 percent share, although small in size. Sales of Reality Labs, Meta Platforms’ headset division, stood at only $2.27 billion last year.

The headset market, however, may expand sharply with Apple’s entry, hurrying Samsung Electronics to revise its development target.

An XR headset is a device that combines the advantages of both virtual reality (VR), which creates a three-dimensional virtual environment, and augmented reality (AR), which superimposes real and virtual objects.

What draws keen attention is the specifications.

Samsung Electronics has reportedly raised its target for pixels per inch (PPI) of the display to over 3,000 from 2,000. Considering that Apple’s Vision Pro has a PPI of 3,500, Samsung Electronics’ product is expected to provide a similar level of immersion in the future.

As both Apple and Samsung Electronics shift their focus to higher-end products, the race to upgrade headsets is expected to intensify.

Currently, Samsung Electronics’ development of the next-generation headsets is led by Choi Won-joon, executive vice president and head of the Mobile R&D at the Mobile eXperience division. Choi is recognized as an expert in mobile terminal and chipset development with a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University.