Sophia Windsor
[Gearbest Technology]Recently, Google announced the launch of a new operating system jointly developed with Samsung Electronics – Android Bring to market.
There is no doubt that this Samsung head-mounted display device will directly compete with Apple’s Vision Pro in the market, and judging from the current market structure, Samsung seems to have occupied a more favorable competitive position.
Samsung understands the market better
The core problem with Vision Pro’s sluggish sales is its high pricing. The overseas price is as high as US$3,499, and the domestic starting price has also reached 29,999 yuan. While the product may have value, the pricing strategy is clearly too high.
Former Oculus chiefs have pointed out that Vision Pro’s design is too complex and is more like a development kit than a consumer product. In the process of pursuing technological innovation and design concepts, Apple may have built in too many unnecessary technologies, leading to a significant increase in costs. At the same time, innovative designs such as its unique glasses frame and EyeSight external display, although quite innovative, have also further pushed up the price.
However, the bigger challenge for Vision Pro may be that it does not support currently popular VR games. Apple insisted on keeping the Vision Pro unique in its market position and didn’t even equip it with a dedicated controller. Although Apple has adjusted its strategy and is cooperating with Sony to introduce PSVR2 controllers, the early market damage has been irreversible. In the emerging market of XR, gaming is undoubtedly the main application area. When users can easily buy the Meta Quest 3S for $299, it’s hard for them to be motivated to spend $3,500 on a headset with relatively few features.
In contrast, Samsung seems to know better how to cater to market needs. At Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, Samsung showed off the capabilities of its head-mounted display device and several smart glasses prototypes developed by Google. The device shares many similarities with the Vision Pro, including its curved front design, built-in speakers, and high-resolution display. It also supports VR and AR mode switching and is equipped with an external battery.
Compared with Apple Vision Pro, Samsung devices have advantages in lightness and comfort for long-term wearing, which is precisely a major shortcoming of Vision Pro. Samsung also equipped the back of the head with a large cushion and adjustable plastic parts around the head to further enhance the wearing experience. In addition, the field of view of Samsung devices seems to be larger than that of Vision Pro, allowing users to obtain more content at once. What’s more, Samsung hinted that its headset will be priced lower than the $3,499 Vision Pro.
There are many “killer” apps
Compared with Apple’s visionOS, Android XR shows a more significant openness advantage. It is not only open to all developers, but also compatible with XR devices from any manufacturer on the market. In contrast, although visionOS also provides developer tools, its closed nature limits its application scope to Apple’s own products.
In the field of AI, Android XR also shows strong competitiveness. Its built-in AI assistant Gemini 2.0 has significantly improved performance compared to the previous generation, and its response speed may surpass Apple’s Siri. Gemini 2.0 not only supports various forms of input and output such as images, videos, and audios, but also makes full use of Google’s resources and can directly call tools such as Google search and code execution.
Android XR, developed based on the Android system, is compatible with and can directly use a wealth of applications on the Google PlayStore, providing users with an application ecosystem experience similar to Apple’s Vision Pro. In addition, Google has redesigned applications such as YouTube, Maps, and Photos for XR devices, and launched a Chrome browser that supports multi-window multitasking and a Google TV that can switch from AR view to virtual home theater.
It is not difficult to understand why Google did not develop a dedicated YouTube application for Vision Pro before. It turned out to be reserved for itself.
In Android XR, the search function has also been greatly optimized. Users only need to draw a circle to trigger the search, realizing the process from seeing, drawing a circle to searching in one go. Currently, the Android XR preview version supports the use of tools such as ARCore, Android Studio and Unity. Google also provides developers with APIs and hardware development kits, as well as Android XR emulators, so that they can develop XR applications and products more efficiently.
According to Google, using XR devices equipped with Android XR, users can easily translate what they see and hear, and even directly extract restaurant information in group chats and navigate in real time. This kind of control experience based on AI understanding is far beyond what traditional gesture or joystick control can match. At the same time, Google has spoken highly of the integration of AI Assistant and XR devices, believing that this will be a “killer” application. Samir Samat, president of the Android ecosystem, called Android XR the first “platform completely built for the Gemini era”, indicating that it will play an important role in the future integration and development of AI and XR.
How does Apple respond?
Although the Vision Pro is one of the top XR headsets on the market, it still needs improvements to achieve wider mass acceptance. The first priority is that Apple needs to significantly reduce its high prices, which even its loyal fans find unaffordable. To this end, Apple can consider launching a simplified version of the head display, such as Vision Air, that reduces high-end configurations and external displays to reduce costs.
Second, Apple should stop being stubborn and embrace the attractive features of virtual reality. VR games can bring players an unprecedented sense of immersion that traditional games cannot match, and Apple should take full advantage of this. While the PSVR2 controller is a good starting point, the Vision Pro also needs to be compatible with existing VR games.
Furthermore, the design of Vision Pro needs to be further optimized. Despite technical limitations, wearing comfort is a basic requirement. Apple should build a lighter headset with a better headband design. If the next-generation Vision headset is still uncomfortable, it will be difficult to gain a foothold in the market.
As major companies actively invest in the XR field, this is regarded as the next evolution of smartphones. If Apple does not want to repeat the mistakes of Apple Intelligence, it must cooperate with other companies and ensure that Vision Pro has basic functions. This is related to Apple’s future.
write at the end
For Apple, Samsung’s first XR head display is undoubtedly an important competitor to its Vision Pro. Whether Apple can win this battle depends largely on whether it will launch an affordable version of Vision Pro to meet the challenge.
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