Samsung confirms its Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 rival is coming in 2025 — what we know

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Samsung has eyes on releasing its first XR device next year

woman using apple vision pro on a plane
(Image credit: Apple)

Samsung has recommitted to launching its Apple Vision Pro rival at some point next year. During a recent earnings call, the South Korean tech giant said its plan for 2025 is to "improve connectivity among products, including upcoming XR devices.”

The company's plans for an XR headset aren't exactly a secret. We reported on it throughout 2023 and the rumors have kept trickling through over the last twelve months. The only question left is: what's taking so long?

What is XR?

Extended reality (XR) is the umbrella term for Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR) generated through a headset like the Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest.

Unfortunately, we're still no clearer on what Samsung's device could actually look like or how it'll compete with the likes of Apple Vision Pro or the Meta Quest 3. A report in June 2023 suggested the company wants to produce a headset that'll cost between $1,000 and $1,500 while still outperforming Apple's device. That's no small task.

An early report suggested an image sensor Samsung unveiled in December 2023 called the ISOCELL Version 931 would be the basis for the headset. The sensor works like the human eye — using a rolling shutter to exposes all pixels to light at the same time.

When it does arrive, there will be a lot of expectation riding on what Samsung can produce. Both Meta and Apple have a head start on hardware with rapidly-maturing software platforms to support them. But there's three ways Samsung's mixed reality headset could beat Apple Vision Pro.

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Jeff Parsons
Jeff Parsons
UK Editor In Chief

Jeff is UK Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide looking after the day-to-day output of the site’s British contingent.

A tech journalist for over a decade, he’s travelled the world testing any gadget he can get his hands on. Jeff has a keen interest in fitness and wearables as well as the latest tablets and laptops.

A lapsed gamer, he fondly remembers the days when technical problems were solved by taking out the cartridge and blowing out the dust.