Google and Samsung are gearing up to officially step into the ring to challenge Apple’s Vision Pro. Samsung has confirmed that it is launching its Project Moohan headset on October 21, making it the first official Android XR powered device. Google has also been preparing for it, where it looks like apps like Google Photos are getting ready to support Android XR.
Google Photos getting ready for Android XR
According to a report from Android Authority, Google is getting ready to update Google Photos with Android XR support. As you can see in the screenshots, there is a new “Spatial” tab sitting between the Photos and Collections tabs. Then when users tap on photos, a popup message appears that prompts users to “Experience your media in immersive XR.” There is also another button that appears in photos that users can tap to “Go immersive.”
Unfortunately, Android Authority says that the app crashes when they tried to tap the button. So, it is unclear at the moment how this actually works. That being said, we shouldn’t be too surprised at this upcoming update.
Just last week, the Google Play Store started showing listings for apps for Project Moohan, also known as Galaxy XR. However, the jury is still out on whether or not these apps are genuinely useful and could be integrated as part of our daily routines.
An uphill battle
We get the appeal of an immersive headset like the Vision Pro and Galaxy XR. This is compared to other wearables like Meta’s Ray-Ban series. However, it will be an uphill battle. We don’t know the official price of the Galaxy XR yet. But if Samsung were to price it around the same range as the Vision Pro, it would alienate a ton of potential customers from the jump.
Also, while it will offer a more immersive experience, not everyone might want that. One of the appeals of the Meta Ray-Bans is how versatile it is. At the end of the day, they are still a pair of glasses/sunglasses that you can just wear normally. Plus, they’re also lighter and more practical to take with you on the go.
Google and Samsung will have to figure out a way to convince users that they need this. Alternatively, it could be a possibility that Google is simply laying the foundation for the future of its Android XR platform. The company already teased a pair of smart glasses at I/O earlier this year, so maybe that’s their true end game.