A new Samsung XR/VR headset, developed with Google and running Android in some form, is definitely in the works, and now we might have a better idea of when exactly we'll be able to get our hands on it (and put our heads in it).
According to sources who spoke to Business Insider (via 9to5Google), a developer version of the device will be coming in October. The device will be available to anyone who wants to buy it in March 2025.
Samsung has previously said that there will be news in the XR category before the end of 2024, but this is the first time that specific months have been mentioned. However, as is always the case with rumors, nothing is certain until it is made official.
In fact, there is a Samsung Developer Conference scheduled for Thursday, October 3 – this could be the time when the pre-release version of the headphones will be delivered to developers, so they can start working on apps ready for release in 2025.
The rumors continue
While there is still a lot of uncertainty about what Google and Samsung are developing, the term XR (Extended Reality) is used to cover virtual reality (closed virtual worlds), augmented reality (digital elements on top of the real world) and mixed reality (virtual elements that can be made to appear to interact with or fit into the real world).
However, not all companies use these terms consistently, which can be confusing for consumers. According to Business Insider's report, the launch of the upcoming headphones has been delayed several times while the technology is being refined.
Google engineers have now apparently turned their attention back to Android XR, to power upcoming headsets and other devices. Google reportedly tried to get Meta to use the platform for its own mixed reality headset, but was rejected.
Rumors had suggested that Google had dropped plans for a pair of AR glasses (similar to the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses), but we then saw some demos of the smart specs at Google's Project Astra AI presentation, so it's possible that there are several different types of devices in development right now.
