During the recent Galaxy Unpacked event, which focused on foldable devices, Samsung and Google hinted that we’d finally see the results of their XR collaboration “this year” — and it looks like everything is on track, as the Samsung XR headset’s performance scores have seemingly improved. leaked on GeekbenchIf the leak is accurate, it suggests the device will be a full-fledged competitor to the Apple Vision Pro, possibly getting AI integration.
While the Geekbench score isn’t explicitly labeled as anything like “Samsung VR headset,” it is for a device called the Samsung SM-I130 — a designation that leak confirmed to the Samsung headset in January. Additionally, the CPU information, which is listed as a 6-core 2.36GHz processor, would match the one known hardware detail of the Samsung headset: that it uses a Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2.
Qualcomm itself already announced that the Samsung headset uses the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 from Qualcomm. The chipset is a processor with 6 cores, which can run up to 2.4 GHz.
As for the new details, the leak says the device will have 16GB of RAM. This is the same as the Apple Vision Pro and double what you’d find in the Meta Quest 3. Not only will this help apps and XR experiences run more smoothly, I suspect it will also make for easier AI integration.
RAM boosts were the notable upgrade for Google’s own Pixel phones at the recent Google Pixel 9 event – the Pixel 9 got 12GB and the Pixel 9 Pro models got 16GB – and the reason behind the improvement is AI. More RAM means the phones can do more with Google’s on-device Gemini AI – so results are faster, and your data doesn’t have to be shared with a server outside of the device, keeping it private.
With 16GB of dedicated RAM, the Samsung XR headset could theoretically pull off many of the same tricks as the Pixel 9 Pro.
Given that Apple and Meta have yet to leverage their AI platforms in a meaningful way for their XR devices (save for the Meta AI integration of the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, though to be fair, these aren’t XR glasses), it would be a smart way for Google and Samsung to stand out from the crowd and make the improved hardware feel worthwhile if they focused on Gemini.
We also got confirmation that the headset will run a version of Android 14. This ties back into my AI theory, since Gemini is a key part of the latest Android OS, but other than that it’s not really surprising or noteworthy. Meta’s own HorizonOS is a spin-off of Android, and since Android is Google’s own OS, it’s no surprise that Google would adapt the latest version to run on the VR headsets it helps create.
As with all leaks, we should take these details with a grain of salt – until Google or Samsung say something official, there’s no guarantee what specs the Samsung XR headset will offer. Regardless of whether the leak is accurate, we don’t have much longer to wait for the device to be revealed; the end of 2024 is fast approaching, putting a time limit on Samsung’s “this year” promise, and we’re betting we’ll see something in just over a month’s time with the Samsung Developer’s Conference scheduled for October 3, 2024. Whenever it is announced, you can bet we’ll be ready to fill you in on all the important XR details.