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Samsung Galaxy XR vs Apple Vision Pro

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Samsung Galaxy XR vs Apple Vision Pro compares the Samsung Galaxy XR, an Android XR mixed reality headset from Samsung, with the Apple Vision Pro, a visionOS headset from Apple. Both are tethered-battery standalone headsets with micro-OLED displays, eye tracking and hand tracking as the main inputs, and color passthrough. The Galaxy XR went on sale in the United States on 21 October 2025 at US$1,799.99, and Samsung's U.S. store still listed it from US$1,799.99 in October 2026.[1][2] The current Vision Pro, the version with the Apple M5 chip released on 22 October 2025, launched at US$3,499; Apple raised it to US$3,699 for 256 GB on 25 June 2026.[3][4] Samsung's headset uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 and runs at up to 90 Hz, while Apple's uses an M5 plus an Apple R1 coprocessor and runs at up to 120 Hz.[1][5] Samsung lists the Galaxy XR at 545 g with only its forehead cushion attached; Apple lists the M5 Vision Pro at 750 to 800 g with its Light Seal and Dual Knit Band.[1][5]

Unless stated otherwise, the Vision Pro figures on this page are for the M5 model. The original M2 Vision Pro (announced 5 June 2023, released 2 February 2024) was discontinued when Apple announced the M5 version on 15 October 2025.[6][7][8] That model has its own coverage at Apple Vision Pro, and the M5 model at Apple Vision Pro M5.

Reviewed 14 October 2026. Checked every specification, price, date, availability and reviewer attribution against Samsung and Apple spec sheets, newsrooms and stores, Google posts and the cited Tom's Guide, TechRadar, MacRumors, Android Central, UploadVR, 9to5Mac and iFixit articles. About review dates.

Specifications at a glance

Values are as published by each maker unless a cell says otherwise. Samsung and Apple weigh their headsets with different attachments, and they rate battery life under their own test conditions.

Specification Samsung Galaxy XR Apple Vision Pro (M5 model)
Maker Samsung (Android XR platform developed with Google and Qualcomm)[1] Apple[3]
Announced 21 October 2025 (U.S. date; 22 October in South Korea); first previewed by Google as Project Moohan in December 2024[9][10] 15 October 2025 (original M2 model announced 5 June 2023)[3][6]
Released 21 October 2025 (U.S., from 10 p.m. ET), 22 October 2025 (South Korea), 10 July 2026 (U.K.)[9][1][11] 22 October 2025 in 11 countries and regions, including the U.S. and U.K.[3]
Launch price (U.S.) US$1,799.99 (256 GB)[1] US$3,499 (256 GB); 512 GB and 1 TB versions also sold[3]
U.S. price, October 2026 From US$1,799.99[2] US$3,699 (256 GB), US$3,899 (512 GB), US$4,199 (1 TB)[12]
U.K. price, October 2026 £1,699 RRP[11] From £3,499[13]
Operating system Android XR[1] visionOS[5]
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2[1] Apple M5 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine) plus Apple R1[5]
Memory 16 GB[1] 16 GB unified memory[5]
Storage 256 GB[1] 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB[5]
Display Micro-OLED, 3,552 x 3,840, 27 million pixels in total; 6.3-micron pixel pitch; 95% DCI-P3[1] Micro-OLED, 23 million pixels in total; 7.5-micron pixel pitch; 92% DCI-P3; Apple gives no per-eye dimensions[5]
Refresh rates 60 Hz, 72 Hz (default), 90 Hz ("up to, upon service request")[1] 90 Hz, 96 Hz, 100 Hz, 120 Hz[5]
Field of view (manufacturer figure) 109 degrees horizontal, 100 degrees vertical[1] Not stated by Apple[5]
Interpupillary distance range 54-70 mm[1] 51-75 mm[5]
Vision correction Optical inserts sold separately[1] ZEISS Optical Inserts sold separately (US$99 readers, US$149 prescription)[3]
Passthrough cameras Two high-resolution passthrough cameras[1] Two high-resolution main cameras[5]
Tracking and sensors Six world-facing tracking cameras, four eye-tracking cameras, five IMUs, one depth sensor, one flicker sensor[1] Six world-facing tracking cameras, four eye-tracking cameras, TrueDepth camera, LiDAR Scanner, four IMUs, flicker sensor, ambient light sensor[5]
Biometric unlock Iris recognition[1] Optic ID (iris-based)[5]
Photo and video capture 3D photo and video, 18 mm f/2.0, 6.5 MP[1] Stereoscopic 3D camera, 18 mm f/2.00, 6.5 stereo megapixels[5]
Controllers Optional Galaxy XR Controller, sold separately (US$249.99 at launch)[9][14] None included; supports the PlayStation VR2 Sense Controller (US$249.95 with charging station from Apple) and the Logitech Muse stylus (US$129.95)[3]
Audio Two 2-way speakers (woofer and tweeter); six-microphone array[1] Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; six-microphone array with directional beamforming[5]
Wireless Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4[1] Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3[5]
Headset weight 545 g with forehead cushion only (without light shield or cushion size adjusters)[1] 750-800 g with Light Seal and Dual Knit Band, depending on configuration[5]
External battery weight 302 g[1] 353 g[5]
Rated battery life Up to 2 hours general use; up to 2.5 hours of video; usable while charging[1] Up to 2.5 hours general use; up to 3 hours of video; usable while charging[5]

Display and optics

Both headsets use a pair of micro-OLED panels. Apple describes the Vision Pro's optics as a "specially designed three-element lens", while Samsung's specification sheet does not describe the Galaxy XR's lens design.[15] Samsung publishes a resolution of 3,552 x 3,840 and a total of 27 million pixels for the Galaxy XR, with a 6.3-micron pixel pitch.[1] Apple publishes only a total of 23 million pixels and a 7.5-micron pixel pitch.[5] In its February 2024 teardown of the original model, iFixit measured each Vision Pro panel at 3660 x 3200 pixels, with the corners of the lit area cut off.[16] Apple says the M5 chip renders 10 percent more pixels on those displays than the M2 model did, which it describes as giving sharper text and detail.[3]

The refresh rates differ more. The Galaxy XR defaults to 72 Hz and can run at 60 Hz; Samsung lists 90 Hz as available "upon service request".[1] The M5 Vision Pro supports 90, 96, 100 and 120 Hz, and Apple says the 120 Hz mode reduces motion blur when the wearer looks at the physical surroundings.[5][3] Samsung states a field of view of 109 degrees horizontal and 100 degrees vertical.[1] Apple does not publish a field-of-view figure.[5]

For eyeglass wearers, both makers sell lens inserts separately.[1] Apple's are made by ZEISS, attach to the lenses magnetically and cost US$99 (readers) or US$149 (prescription) in the United States.[3][15] The interpupillary distance range is 54-70 mm on the Galaxy XR and 51-75 mm on the Vision Pro.[1][5]

Performance and hardware

The Galaxy XR uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 with 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, and Samsung's specifications name the chip's Qualcomm Hexagon NPU.[1] The Vision Pro pairs Apple's M5 (a 10-core CPU that Apple describes as four super cores and six efficiency cores, a 10-core GPU, Neural Accelerators, hardware-accelerated ray tracing and 153 GB/s of memory bandwidth) with the R1, which Apple says processes input from the cameras, sensors and microphones and has 12 ms photon-to-photon latency.[5][3][15] Both have 16 GB of memory; Apple also offers 512 GB and 1 TB storage options.[5]

In its review, Tom's Guide ran Geekbench 6 on both headsets. The Galaxy XR scored 970 single-core and 2,242 multi-core, and the M5 Vision Pro scored 3,816 and 12,443; the reviewer noted that the benchmark app is not native to either platform.[17]

Samsung lists Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 for the Galaxy XR. The Vision Pro has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3.[1][5] The Vision Pro has an outward-facing display, EyeSight, that shows the wearer's eyes to people nearby; the Galaxy XR has no equivalent display.[15][18]

Tracking and input

Both headsets track the head with inside-out cameras and use eyes, hands and voice as the default input. The camera counts match: two passthrough cameras, six world-facing tracking cameras and four eye-tracking cameras on each.[1][5] For depth, Samsung lists one depth sensor, while Apple lists a LiDAR Scanner and a TrueDepth camera.[1][5] Both offer iris-based authentication: Samsung calls it iris recognition, Apple calls it Optic ID.[1][5]

Neither headset ships with controllers. Samsung sells its own Galaxy XR Controller, priced at US$249.99 at launch.[9] Apple instead supports Sony's PlayStation VR2 Sense controller, which Apple said it would sell in the U.S. with a charging station for US$249.95 from 11 November 2025, and the Logitech Muse stylus at US$129.95.[3]

Reviewers who used both headsets found Apple's eye and hand tracking more consistent. Tom's Guide wrote that the Galaxy XR's interface is "very similar to the Vision Pro" but "doesn't work quite as smoothly or consistently", and that typing felt slower.[17] MacRumors' Juli Clover wrote that hand and eye tracking were "not as intuitive" as on the Vision Pro and that Samsung's optional controllers helped.[19]

Mixed reality and passthrough

Each headset shows the room through two high-resolution color cameras.[1][5] The Galaxy XR has a detachable light shield; Samsung says it blocks outside light for deeper immersion when attached and offers comfort when removed.[1] The Vision Pro ships with a Light Seal and Light Seal Cushion.[5] TechRadar found Samsung's light shields less effective than Apple's Light Seal but possibly more comfortable, and MacRumors noted that the Galaxy XR does not cut the wearer off completely from the surroundings.[18][19]

On image quality, Tom's Guide found that the Vision Pro's passthrough "looked brighter and exhibited less noise, especially in dimmer lighting".[17] TechRadar's reviewer said that because the Galaxy XR's passthrough was not as clear, he could not imagine working for long on a laptop through it.[18]

Software and content

The Galaxy XR runs Android XR, which Samsung, Google and Qualcomm developed together. Google's Gemini assistant is built in at system level, Android apps from Google Play run on the headset, and the platform supports OpenXR, WebXR and Unity development.[1] Google said in April 2026 that more than 100 apps had been made to take full advantage of XR, more than double the number at the Galaxy XR's launch, and that update also added experimental auto-spatialization of 2D content, wall-pinned apps and session restore.[20] Through Virtual Desktop, the Galaxy XR can also play PC VR games and pass eye and face tracking to OpenXR applications on a PC.[14]

The Vision Pro runs visionOS. When the M5 model launched, Apple said more than 1 million apps were available for the headset, including more than 3,000 built for visionOS.[3] visionOS 27, released on 14 September 2026, runs on both the M2 and M5 models and added a new Siri with Apple Intelligence features; a few of them, such as the customizable Siri voice, require the M5 model.[21]

Each headset can act as a large display for a computer. Apple's Mac Virtual Display brings a Mac screen into the headset as an expandable ultrawide display.[15] On the Galaxy XR, Google and Samsung added PC Connect, in beta, for Windows PCs in December 2025.[22] Tom's Guide and MacRumors both found connecting a Mac to the Vision Pro simpler than setting up the Galaxy XR's PC link.[17][19]

At the time of its October 2025 review, Tom's Guide noted that the Galaxy XR had dedicated YouTube, YouTube TV and Netflix apps, while on the Vision Pro Netflix had to be watched through Safari. It also found that Apple's 3D movies were gathered in one place, while 3D titles on the Galaxy XR were spread across different apps.[17]

Comfort, weight and battery

Samsung's 545 g figure covers the headset with only its forehead cushion attached. Apple's 750-800 g figure includes the Light Seal and Dual Knit Band.[1][5] Both headsets take power from a separate battery on a cable: Samsung's weighs 302 g and Apple's 353 g.[1][5] The Galaxy XR uses a single band that tightens with a dial at the back, while the Vision Pro's Dual Knit Band has upper and lower straps, with tungsten weights in the lower strap to counterbalance the headset.[17][3]

Samsung rates the Galaxy XR for up to 2 hours of general use and up to 2.5 hours of video. Its general-use test used Wi-Fi, YouTube playback in a virtual environment, Chrome with three websites and Google Meet.[1] Apple rates the M5 Vision Pro for up to 2.5 hours of general use and up to 3 hours of video, measured on preproduction units in August and September 2025.[5] Both headsets can run while the battery is charging.[1][5] Tom's Guide said the Galaxy XR met Samsung's claims in its testing.[17]

The reviewers who wore both found the Galaxy XR more comfortable. Tom's Guide said it "just feels comfortable to wear", without a strap across the top of the head, and MacRumors and TechRadar both described it as better balanced than the Vision Pro.[17][19][18] The same reviewers found its largely plastic build less premium than the Vision Pro, and TechRadar noted the sound of the cooling fans.[17][19][18]

Price and availability

Region Samsung Galaxy XR Apple Vision Pro (M5 model)
United States On sale 21 October 2025 at US$1,799.99 (256 GB)[1]; still listed from US$1,799.99 in October 2026[2] On sale 22 October 2025 from US$3,499; from US$3,699 since 25 June 2026[3][4][12]
United Kingdom On sale July 2026 at £1,699 RRP[11] On sale 22 October 2025; from £3,499 in October 2026[3][13]
South Korea On sale 22 October 2025[1] Listed by Apple in October 2025 as coming "later"; pre-orders opened 20 November 2025, with delivery from 28 November 2025[3][23]
Other markets At launch, sold only in the U.S. and South Korea[17] Australia, Canada, China mainland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UAE from 22 October 2025; Taiwan on the same schedule as South Korea (pre-orders 20 November, delivery from 28 November 2025)[3][23]

Apple's June 2026 increase was part of a wider round of price rises across its product lineup; MacRumors reported that Tim Cook had told The Wall Street Journal the increases were unavoidable because of the cost of memory and storage chips.[4] In May 2026, MacRumors relayed a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman that a new Vision Pro was at least two years away.[24]

Reviews comparing the two

Several outlets compared the Galaxy XR directly with the Vision Pro after its launch:

  • Tom's Guide (Mark Spoonauer, October 2025) called the Galaxy XR "much lighter and more comfortable than the Apple Vision Pro", but reported "buggy performance issues" and said its eye and hand tracking "isn't as reliable as the Vision Pro". The reviewer suggested waiting for Samsung and Google to fix the problems before buying.[17]
  • TechRadar (Lance Ulanoff, November 2025), who had used the original Vision Pro for two years and had just reviewed the M5 model, wrote that the Galaxy XR is "way cheaper than the competition, and far more comfortable to wear, but it doesn't match the Apple Vision Pro's effortless ease of use or collection of bespoke, eye-popping experiences."[18]
  • MacRumors (Juli Clover, November 2025) bought a Galaxy XR to compare. Clover found it lighter and more comfortable but less premium, with text that "isn't as sharp" as on the Vision Pro and fewer apps. The article noted that the Vision Pro had been on sale longer.[19]
  • Android Central (Brady Snyder, October 2025), judged the Galaxy XR the more practical option at about half the price of the Vision Pro. It said the M5 chip gave the Vision Pro a performance advantage, but that the visionOS app ecosystem did not yet seem ready to use it.[25]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.38 1.39 1.40 1.41 1.42 "Introducing Galaxy XR: Opening New Worlds". Samsung Mobile Press. Samsung Electronics. 2025-10-22. https://www.samsungmobilepress.com/articles/galaxy-xr-opening-new-worlds. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Galaxy XR". Samsung US. Samsung Electronics America. https://www.samsung.com/us/xr/galaxy-xr/galaxy-xr/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 "Apple Vision Pro upgraded with the powerful M5 chip and comfortable Dual Knit Band". Apple Newsroom. Apple. 2025-10-15. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/10/apple-vision-pro-upgraded-with-the-m5-chip-and-dual-knit-band/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Hartley Charlton (2026-06-25). "Apple Vision Pro Just Got Even More Expensive". MacRumors. https://www.macrumors.com/2026/06/25/apple-vision-pro-just-got-even-more-expensive/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 5.21 5.22 5.23 5.24 5.25 5.26 5.27 5.28 5.29 5.30 5.31 5.32 5.33 5.34 "Apple Vision Pro (M5) - Tech Specs". Apple Support. Apple. https://support.apple.com/en-us/125436. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Introducing Apple Vision Pro: Apple's first spatial computer". Apple Newsroom. Apple. 2023-06-05. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/introducing-apple-vision-pro/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  7. ↑ "Apple Vision Pro available in the U.S. on February 2". Apple Newsroom. Apple. 2024-01-08. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/01/apple-vision-pro-available-in-the-us-on-february-2/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  8. ↑ Hartley Charlton (2025-10-15). "Discontinued M2 Vision Pro Not Available for Trade-In". MacRumors. https://www.macrumors.com/2025/10/15/discontinued-m2-vision-pro-not-available-for-trade-in/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "Introducing Galaxy XR: Opening New Worlds". Samsung U.S. Newsroom. Samsung Electronics America. 2025-10-21. https://news.samsung.com/us/introducing-galaxy-xr-opening-new-worlds/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  10. ↑ Shahram Izadi (2024-12-12). "Android XR: The Gemini era comes to headsets and glasses". The Keyword. Google. https://blog.google/products/android/android-xr/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Galaxy XR is Available to Buy Now in the UK". Samsung Newsroom U.K.. Samsung Electronics. 2026-07-10. https://news.samsung.com/uk/galaxy-xr-is-available-to-buy-now-in-the-uk. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Buy Apple Vision Pro". Apple Store (U.S.). Apple. https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-vision/apple-vision-pro. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Buy Apple Vision Pro". Apple Store (U.K.). Apple. https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/buy-vision/apple-vision-pro. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 David Heaney (2025-10-21). "Samsung Galaxy XR With Android XR Out Now For $1800, Controllers $250". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/samsung-galaxy-xr-google-android-xr-out-now/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 "Apple Vision Pro". Apple. Apple. https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  16. ↑ Charlie Sorrel (2024-02-07). "Vision Pro Teardown Part 2: What's the Display Resolution?". iFixit. https://www.ifixit.com/News/90409/vision-pro-teardown-part-2-whats-the-display-resolution. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  17. ↑ 17.00 17.01 17.02 17.03 17.04 17.05 17.06 17.07 17.08 17.09 17.10 Mark Spoonauer (2025-10-30). "Samsung Galaxy XR review: This Apple Vision Pro challenger is cheaper, lighter and buggier". Tom's Guide. https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/augmented-reality/galaxy-xr-review. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 Lance Ulanoff (2025-11-04). "I spent a week with the Samsung Galaxy XR and Apple's Vision Pro has nothing to worry about - yet". TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/computing/virtual-reality-augmented-reality/i-spent-a-week-with-the-samsung-galaxy-xr-and-apples-vision-pro-has-nothing-to-worry-about-yet. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 Juli Clover (2025-11-10). "Samsung Galaxy XR vs. Apple Vision Pro". MacRumors. https://www.macrumors.com/2025/11/10/samsung-galaxy-xr-vs-apple-vision-pro/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  20. ↑ Juston Payne (2026-04-07). "5 new features for Android XR". The Keyword. Google. https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/platforms/android/android-xr-immersive-features-update-april-2026/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  21. ↑ Juli Clover (2026-09-14). "Apple Releases visionOS 27 With Siri AI and New Spatial Experiences". MacRumors. https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/14/apple-releases-visionos-27/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  22. ↑ Shahram Izadi (2025-12-08). "The Android Show: New features for Galaxy XR and a look at future devices". The Keyword. Google. https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/platforms/android/android-show-xr-edition-updates/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Ben Lovejoy (2025-11-20). "M5 Vision Pro goes on sale in two more countries as gradual global rollout continues". 9to5Mac. https://9to5mac.com/2025/11/20/m5-vision-pro-goes-on-sale-in-two-more-countries-as-gradual-global-rollout-continues/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  24. ↑ Tim Hardwick (2026-05-11). "Gurman: New Apple Vision Pro Won't Arrive for at Least Two Years". MacRumors. https://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/11/new-vision-pro-wont-arrive-at-least-two-years/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
  25. ↑ Brady Snyder (2025-10-30). "Samsung Galaxy XR vs. Apple Vision Pro: Battle of the premium headsets". Android Central. https://www.androidcentral.com/phones/samsung-galaxy/samsung-galaxy-xr-vs-apple-vision-pro. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
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