Apple last week unveiled the second generation of its Vision Pro headset, with a new head strap, faster chip, and slightly upgraded displays. It still costs $3,499 and is unlikely to move the needle much on sales.
But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t caught the attention of the rest of the tech world. Vision Pro might not be a hit with consumers, but its cutting-edge design and specs have set the benchmark for high-end AR/VR headsets. Just this week, in fact, Samsung announced its own Vision Pro competitor, the Galaxy XR, and it’s clearly inspired by Apple’s headset, with “an ergonomic design and soft touch fabric,” 4K micro-OLED display, spatial photos, virtual workstations, and magnetic prescription inserts. Here’s a look at how the key specs compare:
| Apple Vision Pro | Samsung Galaxy XR | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 23 million pixels Micro‑OLED Supported refresh rates: 90Hz, 96Hz, 100Hz, 120Hz 92% DCI‑P3 | 27 million pixels Micro-OLED Supported refresh rates: 60Hz, 72Hz, 90Hz 95% DCI‑P3 |
| Chip | M5 | Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 Platform |
| Camera | Stereoscopic 3D main camera system 6.5MP (stereo) 18 mm, ƒ/2.0 aperture | 6.5MP 18 mm, ƒ/2.0 aperture |
| Sensors | Two high‑resolution main cameras Six world‑facing tracking cameras Four eye‑tracking cameras TrueDepth camera LiDAR scanner Four inertial measurement units (IMUs) Flicker sensor Ambient light sensor | Two high-resolution main cameras Six world-facing tracking cameras Four eye-tracking cameras Five IMUs Depth sensor Flicker sensor |
| Battery | Up to 2.5 hours of general use | Up to 2 hours of general use |
| Weight | 28.2 ounces (800 grams) | 19.2 ounces (550 grams) |
| Prescription inserts | Yes ($99/149) | Yes (Starting at $99) |
While Samsung’s headset is significantly lighter than Vision Pro, where the Galaxy XR crushes Vision Pro is the price. Samsung’s new headset is priced at $1,800, about half of Vision Pro’s $3,499 price tag. Samsung’s headset is still very expensive, but it’s hard not to see it as a cheap(er) imitation of Vision Pro. It looks like Vision Pro, acts like Vision Pro, and does many of the same things as Vision Pro. Samsung even calls its AI platform Spatial Intelligence.
Samsung’s XR headset is available for preorder now for delivery on October 29. Apple’s Vision Pro with the M5 chip will begin shipping today.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor, Macworld
Michael Simon has been covering Apple for more than 20 years. He started covering rumors with Spymac when the iPod was the iWalk, and has owned nearly every iPhone Apple has ever made. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, son, and far too many gadgets.