Samsung goes all in on XR
Samsung has launched its XR headset after a couple of years of teases and hints. The style and design appears to lean heavily on Apple’s original design although, to be fair, there are limited design iterations for a device that sits on your head. The Samsung Galaxy XR costs $1,800, which is significantly less than the Apple Vision Pro ($3,499).
Built in collaboration with Google, the new headset has Gemini AI built in (we are in the era of AI-for-everything after all) and comes equipped with 12 cameras (two pass-through, four eye tracking cameras and the rest face out for AR applications) and six microphones. According to Samsung and Google, “almost all” Google Play store apps will work with the headset which means anything from watching Netflix to exploring the world via Google Maps should be possible from the beginning. That’s a big deal and a key advantage for the platform.
Battery life looks to be a bit of a challenge, with Samsung saying that you can get two hours of “general use” and 2.5 hours of video playback. That is slightly less than Apple but not significantly. The good news is that 2.5 hours means you can watch a movie, but if you are considering the XR headset for a flight, then 2.5 hours seems very short.
The Circana Take:
- Although I compare Samsung with Apple above, the comparison is both obvious and irrelevant. Yes, consumers may look to see what alternative solutions offer by comparison, but the XR headsets are still built around the existing smartphone-centric ecosystem. As such, if you own an Android phone, you will consider the Samsung; Apple users will lean towards the Vision Pro (although it’s not much of a “lean in” based on the relatively low ownership rates).
- As with many new technology areas, the greatest challenge will be to convince the consumers that they actually need this device. $1,800 is a lot of cash to find in this current financial market and the use case (for all XR headsets) screams “nice to have” rather than “must have”. Most tech categories are under pressure due to this uncertainty… but a “nice to have” category will struggle more than most.
- Ignoring the current macro-economic environment, Samsung has launched a strong contender in the space. Yes, it is far more expensive than a Meta VR headset, but also half the price of Apple’s Vision Pro, which is what it will be compared to the most. And launching in late October positions it well for holiday sales.
Strava and Garmin end the war
Blink and you will have missed it, but the short-lived lawsuit from Strava against Garmin is over. Just 21 days after filing the suit, Strava has voluntarily dismissed the case. As a reminder, the case involved alleged infringements on two of Strava’s patents, for heat map routing and Live Segments and Strava had originally sort to have Garmin products that Strava claimed infringed on the patents taken off the shelves. That was clearly a nuclear option as it was effectively all of Garmin’s wearables and bicycle products.
The Circana Take:
- Was it a play at brinksmanship with Strava hoping it could force Garmin to negotiate rather than risk losing sales for all of its wearable products? Perhaps. Let’s just say that Strava went big… and then went home when Garmin (apparently) didn’t blink. Of course, we don’t know what went on behind the scenes and there are many reasons why this could ultimately help Strava, such as – perhaps – a tighter partnership with Garmin or even an acquisition by Garmin rather than Strava’s planned IPO in 2026?
- That’s the optimistic viewpoint. The alternative perspective is that Strava realized that going to war with your closest partner is not a wise move. But if that is the case, it’s probably too late and Garmin will now be looking to lessen the app tie-in with Strava over time.
- Other wearable companies should take a close look at how to create a closer tie with Strava. If the net result of this aborted lawsuit is greater strain between Garmin and Strava, it would behoove other OEMs, such as Samsung, to make the most of it and build stronger Strava support in the hopes that consumers will follow Strava rather than Garmin.