After the unsuccessful attempts with Glass, Cardboard, and Daydream, Google is all set to make another ambitious attempt at revolutionizing headsets with their newly announced operating system, designed for “extended reality” devices, Android XR.
With Google’s expertise in AI and software and collaboration with Samsung and partners such as Adobe, Calm, Virtual Desktops, and others, Google plans on shipping devices powered with their new OS starting in 2025.
Why XR?
“When we say extended reality or XR, we’re really talking about a whole spectrum of experiences, from virtual reality to augmented reality and everything in between.” – Sameer Samat, President, Android Ecosystem at Google.
By signaling XR as the operation system’s branding, Google puts forth its intention to cater to a wide range of devices, from virtual reality (VR) to augmented reality (AR) and everything in between. This will put Google in a strong position, increasing their adaptability significantly with developers as well as users.
Google is also developing XR versions of Maps, YouTube, Google TV, and Photos that will allow for multiwindow display on a new version of Chrome, designed specifically for the XR operating system, along with supporting existing apps from the Play Store.
Gemini: The AI Driving Android XR
At the heart of Android’s XR operating system is Gemini, Google’s AI powerhouse. This is what leads me to believe in the success of Google’s headsets this time, since the key difference from its previous attempts is the AI integration.
Gemini will also work as a virtual assistant to the users by helping them capture audio and video. One of the coolest features I found was translating the audio into subtitles from the surroundings.
Project Moohan: What We Know So Far
The Samsung and Qualcomm headset, with a code name Project Moohan, stems from a partnership that was announced in Feb 2023 at a Galaxy Unpacked event. ‘Moohan’, translating to ‘infinity’ in Korean, gives an insight into the company’s vision for their product– an endless possibility in the XR space.
At first glance, the Samsung headset looks eerily similar to the Apple Vision Pro. Powered with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR Plus Gen 2 chipset, the headset offers a 4.3K resolution per eye at 90 frames per second. The Snapdragon chip also boosts CPU performance by 20% and GPU performance by 15%, as compared to its earlier version used in Meta Quest 3.
With Moohan, Google is envisioning a future wherein users will be able to multitask in virtual environments, blending 3D interactions with managing apps simultaneously.
Can Google & Samsung Dominate The VR Market?
A market already dominated by the Meta Quest lineup is a tough competition to crack, even for the likes of companies such as Google and Samsung. Even Apple, with its Vision Pro, couldn’t reach a wider audience because of its high price tag.
To make sure their launch sticks the landing, Google and Samsung would need serious focus on creating a device with multiple use cases, that could easily blend into everyday life and genuinely increase productivity.
All this while not burning a hole in our pockets. Although it is tricky to create a headset that delivers value and accessibility, Google and Samsung could be on to something game changing.
Wrap Up
With Google’s announcement, the important details about the headset, such as what software they’ll create before they launch, the weight and dimensions of the headset, as well as the price and release date, still remain up in the air.
With so many unknowns, it’s a little difficult to get excited for Moohan. But putting my faith in a company like Samsung, which is just getting started with the extended reality journey and its vision for infinite possibilities– much like Moohan’s name suggests, it is going to make for an exciting 2025.