Samsung-Headset: Gentlemen, start your copiers!
It's great that Google is advancing the AR sector with Android XR. What's less great is how much partner Samsung is taking inspiration from Apple. Why is that?
Project Moohan from Samsung: We know this look from somewhere.
(Image: Samsung)
"Are you making a new video for the Vision Pro?" That was one of the questions on X that well-known YouTuber Marques Brownlee, aka MKBHD, recently received when he posted a picture of his next short film in which he introduces a new augmented reality device. The question was quite justified, as Samsung's "Project Moohan" (Korean for "infinity") not only looks like the unmistakable Apple headset from afar. Of course, the Samsung device is still a prototype. But the South Koreans have already announced that they will launch it on the market this year – and the design is likely to change only minimally, as the MKBHD video shows.
Unpopular form factor
The incredible thing is that Samsung is in many ways mimicking a device that in my opinion has the worst form factor of any Apple hardware since the trashcan Mac Pro – if not worse –. The Vision Pro is not a hardware – and I say that as an owner of the device since February 2024 – that you can "just put on". You have to take your time, for example by first attaching the battery to the device and then being careful not to get stuck with the cable.
And it is precisely this design with an external battery that Samsung is imitating. The round button for attaching the battery (whether with bayonet catch or without is still unclear) has been adopted by Samsung, as has the annoyingly unwieldy battery shape. The only thing Samsung hasn't copied is the digital crown, instead there is a single button, volume buttons (why you need them directly on the headset is beyond me) and a – oh wonder of innovation – touch strip on the earpiece. Also missing is the EyeSight function for looping through the eye display, which is one of the least popular Vision Pro features anyway. Nevertheless, the Samsung headset also looks like Apple's from the front, as it copies the ski goggle look.
At least the suspension of Project Moohan is slightly different. There is also a cushion at the back with a (second) locking wheel. In practice, this means that, according to Brownlee, Project Moohan presses on the eyebrows instead of the cheeks like the Vision Pro. I can't yet say which is better. Another (positive) change compared to the Vision Pro is that Samsung has divided the light seal into two parts so that you can also let light in at the bottom to better perceive your surroundings, if that is what you want.
First Meta, now Google
Android XR, which comes directly from Google, is also inspired by visionOS. But Meta already did this with the Quest 3: after the Apple operating system was released, the Quest OS suddenly had lots of windows that stuck in the desired places. The home screen of Android XR is also reminiscent of Apple's home screen, and the window management is similar. In contrast to the Quest 3 with its two controllers, eye tracking and finger/hand operation are standard on Android XR, but it is unclear whether there will be controllers later on.
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The Google Gemini integration is innovative, allowing customized apps such as Google Maps to be controlled quite quickly by voice input. The Vision Pro has no direct AI integration, Apple Intelligence does not run despite the M2 processor. Another nice thing about Android XR is that most Android apps from the Play Store are supposed to run; it remains to be seen how the operation will turn out. It seems to be annoying that you have to perform very extensive gestures such as "Circle to Search" to use Gemini features. That's good for the arm muscles.
Conclusion: While you have to praise Google for finally bringing life to the augmented reality market with Android XR –, there will now be more and more manufacturers of headsets with the system –, you can only shake your head at Samsung. The South Koreans are an innovative company, having brought foldables to the forefront, built arguably the best smartphone screens and brought sensible pen operation to Galaxy devices. Why the company felt it necessary to base its form factor on Apple in such a way remains a mystery, especially as the Vision Pro can in no way be interpreted as a sales hit. Let's hope Samsung doesn't copy Apple's moon prices with the Project Moohan headset.
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