00:00So the Galaxy XR is real. I'm wearing it right now and we're going to tell you
00:04about our first impressions of this mixed reality headset using the new
00:08Android XR platform and I think in a way you could make the case that this is
00:12solving all the major problems that people have had with the Vision Pro or
00:15at least mostly. It's cheaper, it's lighter, and it has real AI that people
00:20want to use inside. Using the Galaxy XR the responsiveness feels pretty solid
00:26thanks to the Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 chip, though speaking purely
00:30anecdotally doesn't quite match the smoothness of the Vision Pro. Moving and
00:34resizing windows takes a bit of practice and the eye tracking cursor
00:37sometimes lag behind my gaze. That said, the gestures feel intuitive. You pinch to
00:42select, wave to scroll, and can zoom in and out by bringing your hands together
00:45and apart. Pulling up the main menu is easy too, just pinch your fingers together
00:49with your palm facing up. Where the Galaxy XR really separates itself from the
00:53current headset market is its integration with Gemini and Gemini Live. Being able
00:58to summon the voice assistant instantly to chat or share your screen as a layer
01:02of interactivity that feels genuinely futuristic. Apps also feel smarter and more
01:06dynamic as a result. You can explore Google Maps with live directions, get tips in
01:11Stardew Valley without leaving the game, or bring old photos to life as short
01:15videos in Google Photos. The exclusive Adobe Pulsar app stands out too, letting you edit
01:20videos in 3D space and generate titles with Gemini's help. It's like having a co-pilot
01:26in mixed reality, guiding you through every interaction.
01:29Media consumption is surprisingly immersive. Watching VR 180 and 360 YouTube content, seeing
01:35fighter jets up close, or diving into interactive films like Asteroid really showcases the potential
01:40of mixed reality. Some experiences still feel more like games than cinematic, but the
01:44ability to interact with characters or move multiple windows around, like watching four
01:49NFL games at once, makes the Galaxy XR feel like a sneak peek at the future of home entertainment.
01:54So I just finished my demo with the Galaxy XR headset, and the one thing I want to say
01:59is just how light and comfortable this is. Even after a pretty decently long demo, I still
02:05feel like I'm not wearing anything, but it's definitely lighter than I expected. Which is good,
02:12because sometimes like when you're feeling something like heavy, it pulls you out of the experience.
02:16And in this case, I felt more immersed because of like just how light it felt. In terms of the
02:20experiences themselves, like I think photos is probably like the one that a lot of people are
02:24going to gravitate to because it turns your 2D photos into something that's spatial. And the fact
02:29that it can bring your old photos to life, even through like video in terms of AI, I think is
02:34going
02:34to get like tug at a lot of heartstrings. I thought that was pretty cool. But I think overall,
02:38probably the biggest takeaway is that Gemini is integrated across the board, and you can have it
02:41look at whatever's on your screen and share that in real time. And you can ask questions. So it's
02:46sort of like having like a co-pilot with you as you're experiencing this new XR device. I tried
02:51like four or five different experiences, and across all of them, I could use or invoke Gemini at any time.
02:56And it's really easy to do and also pretty easy to dismiss if you don't want it listening and
03:00watching everything that you do. Yeah, like in terms of like complaints, I would just say that
03:07these like light shields, I think it's really good that you have the option of putting them on and off,
03:11but I did notice a little bit of light leakage from the left and right side, like the extreme
03:15sides in terms of your peripheral vision. But it's not enough to again, like to disrupt the experience.
03:21Right now, it doesn't seem like a great time to launch a mixed reality headset given the momentum
03:25behind smart glasses. But for those who are looking for a more immersive experience,
03:29the Galaxy XR is certainly worth a look. It's way cheaper than the Apple Vision Pro,
03:33and it's also noticeably lighter and more comfortable to wear for extended periods.
03:37Having Gemini live on board is also pretty transformative. But $1799 is still a lot of
03:42money for a device you'll mostly use at home, and the new M5 Vision Pro should keep Apple in the
03:47performance lead. But if you want a sneak peek of what the future of mixed reality looks like,
03:52the Galaxy XR looks like a solid evolutionary step forward for spatial computing. Stay tuned for our
03:57full Galaxy XR review and be sure to like and subscribe if you want to see more videos just like
04:01this.
04:01For Tom's Guide, this is Mark Spoonhour.
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