Samsung's Project Moohan XR headset unlocked for launch next year

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Samsung's Project Moohan XR headset unlocked for launch next year

Published: 13 Dec. 2024, 14:03 Updated: 13 Dec. 2024, 16:23

JIN EUN-SOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Samsung Electronics' XR headset, Project Moohan [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Samsung gave press a sneak peek of its upcoming extended reality (XR) headset, the first consumer product to run Google's Android XR operating system, in New York on Thursday.

The goggle-shaped headset is called Project Moohan, which means “infinity” in Korean, and will launch sometime next year — possibly at Galaxy Unpacked, where the Galaxy Ring launched this year.

XR is an umbrella term that encompasses real-and-virtual combined environments and human-machine interactions generated by computer technology and wearables.

Google demoed Android XR alongside Samsung's new headset. Project Moohan will be able to interact with users through gaze, gestures and voice commands, according to Samsung.

It will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 chip, an updated version of the Snapdragon XR Gen 2 that powers Meta's Quest 3S.

With the headset, users can explore the world via a 3-D version of Google Maps and plan the itinerary of an upcoming trip with the help of AI model Gemini. Google has updated popular apps like YouTube and Google TV to provide more immersive view to the headset's users.

Google's Circle to Search feature, which it debuted earlier this year on Android phones, where circling an object displayed on the phone, which for this case will be a real-world object, gives the user a Google search result without any input of text.

Choi Won-joon, executive vice president responsible for Samsung's Mobile eXperience division, right, and Sameer Samat, Google's President of Android Ecosystem, shake hand at Google's New York offices on Thursday. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

“XR has quickly shifted from a distant promise to a tangible reality. We believe it has the potential to unlock new and meaningful ways to interact with the world by truly resonating with your everyday lives, transcending physical boundaries,” said Choi Won-joon, executive vice president responsible for the company's Mobile eXperience division.

“We are excited to collaborate with Google to reshape the future of XR, taking our first step toward it with Project Moohan.”

Project Moohan was first conceived in February 2023 when Google, Samsung and Qualcomm announced that they would co-develop an XR device, with each taking responsibility for its hardware, software and chips.

The fruition of their three-party partnership was delayed beyond what the market had initially expected, presumably due to the worse-than-expected sales of its competitor, Apple's Vision Pro. The mixed reality headset was released early this year, to much hype, but soon lost steam soon due to its uncomfortable fit and reports of dizziness on top of its expensive starting price of $3,499.

Google also presented a prototype of smart glasses powered by its platform, which will begin real-world testing soon, according to the company. The glasses which are more focused on comfort and style, will provide AI-powered features like text message summaries, turn-by-turn directions laid over the real world and translations.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [[email protected]]