Back in October, Google and Samsung officially revealed the Galaxy XR, the first Android-based XR headset. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 platform and features dual 4K Micro-OLED displays with a 90Hz refresh rate, a 109-degree field of view, and head, hand, and eye tracking for an immersive viewing experience.
The headset also includes two high-resolution pass-through cameras, six world-facing tracking cameras, four eye-tracking cameras, one depth sensor, and a flicker sensor, enabling seamless interaction with the physical environment.
Today, Google announced several new experiences that are coming to Android XR. PC Connect is a new app that will allow users to link their Windows PCs with the Galaxy XR headset and experience their Windows apps in an immersive environment. They can also place their Windows apps side-by-side with native apps from Google Play. This new PC Connect app is rolling out today in beta.
To make the Galaxy XR usable during travel, Google is introducing Travel Mode in Android XR. With this new mode, the view will stay stable even when you’re in motion.
Apple Personas are dynamic 3D avatars used in the Apple Vision Pro, allowing users to interact as virtual replicas during FaceTime calls and other applications. Google is now bringing a similar experience to Android XR under the name "Likeness". Likeness is a realistic digital representation of a user"s face that mirrors their facial expressions and hand gestures in real-time. During video calls, people on the other side can see users authentically to make the call feel natural and personal.
These new Android XR features will roll out to users starting December 8 in the United States and Korea.
Google today announced that Android XR will also support wired XR glasses in addition to headsets like the Galaxy XR. In that regard, Google revealed Project Aura from XREAL, the first such Android XR device. Project Aura features a 70-degree field of view and optical see-through technology. Google and XREAL will share more details on Project Aura next year.
Finally, Google is also opening up app development for AI glasses with the release of Developer Preview 3 of the Android XR SDK.