Google has announced a new operating system; Android XR. This OS is focused on Extended Reality which is reminiscent of Apple's VisionOS in terms of objectives. At the same time, Samsung is showing a prototype pair of glasses running on Android XR; Project Moohan.
Rumors of a deep collaboration between Google, Samsung and Qualcomm have been going around for some time. Now we see the first concrete example of that. Android XR is intended for headsets and glasses that work with mixed, virtual or augmented reality.
Project Moohan
Google claims Android XR relies heavily on AI, specifically Gemini. For example, Circle to Search, which allows the user to search visually by circling something, is built in by default. The first product to run on Android XR is Samsung's Project Moohan. This headset should come out later in 2025, possibly under a different name.
.Without giving exact specifications, Samsung writes that the headset uses passthrough screens and multimodal input, including voice and hand gestures. Available apps include Google TV, Google Maps with navigation, YouTube and Chrome.
Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2
Qualcomm is making a push with the introduction of the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2. This chipset is intended for spatial computing with support for two 4.3K resolution displays and 12 cameras. By the way, this is not the first Qualcomm chipset for VR glasses. Earlier versions can be found in Meta's glasses.