Samsung Offers Free $100 Deal To New Android Xr Headset Users - How To Redeem It Now

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Samsung has confirmed that nan adjacent Unpacked will hap connected October 21.
• The arena will showcase its Project Moohan XR headset, and perchance different products.
• Early adopters tin reserve a preorder coming and person a $100 shop credit.

The clip is adjacent for Samsung to yet denote nan long-awaited Project Moohan headset. 

The institution confirmed past week that it'll beryllium hosting a virtual Unpacked arena connected Tuesday, October 21, astatine 10 p.m. ET, during which we'll apt study everything astir its next-gen XR headset. Codenamed Project Moohan, nan headset was made successful business pinch Google and Qualcomm, and is intended to beryllium a nonstop competitor to nan $3,499 Apple Vision Pro.

Also: I yet tried Samsung's XR headset, and it thumps my Apple Vision Pro successful meaningful ways

But will nan trio of tech giants succeed? That depends connected galore things, including pricing, comfort, and nan seamlessness of nan package ecosystem, considering nan headset operates connected Google's latest Android XR platform.

What we cognize truthful far

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET

I first demoed Project Moohan astatine Google I/O earlier this year, and it was a strangely acquainted experience. Like Apple Vision Pro, Samsung's XR headset is simply a mixed reality strategy that operates done motion, digit gestures, and oculus tracking, and is tethered to a portable powerfulness bank.

You're initiated pinch an eye-tracking calibration, and you tin threat connected corrective lenses if needed. As for nan remainder of nan experience, ideate nan Android personification interface, pinch its various app icons, pop-up menus, and notifications floating successful midair. I'd ideate that astir existing Android users won't person problem navigating nan caller operating system.

Also: I wore smart glasses pinch xMEMS speakers and cooling fans - and wished my Ray-Bans had nan same

Notably, I recovered Project Moohan to beryllium overmuch lighter and to person amended weight distribution than nan Vision Pro -- though it comes astatine nan disbursal of a cheaper-feeling headband and shell. We're talking difficult integrative versus Apple's metallic and aluminum. That's not a bad thing, arsenic Samsung's worldly prime makes nan headset much comfortable to deterioration while apt reducing costs.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Another trading constituent is nan various Gemini devices baked into Android XR, which let users to freely petition AI assistance, whether they're uncovering a section proposal connected Maps aliases seeking gameplay advice. I'm expecting much full-fledged demos astatine adjacent week's Unpacked event.

Lastly, Project Moohan reportedly runs disconnected a Qualcomm XR2+ Gen 2 chipset, which, by nan numbers, is little performant than Apple's caller M5 processor. We'll person to comparison nan 2 erstwhile units travel successful for review.

Preorder connection for early adopters

Ahead of nan virtual event, Samsung is offering a $100 shop credit to customers who reserve their preorder of nan upcoming Galaxy device. According to nan Tuesday property release, nan in installments tin beryllium applied to "any further eligible products," which I would conjecture includes spare artillery packs, recreation cases, wireless earbuds, and more.

Reserving nan preorder is not a committedness to purchase, truthful it's a bully thought to do it now to fastener successful nan $100 promotion successful lawsuit you determine to bargain adjacent week.

How to watch nan virtual Unpacked event

Samsung will beryllium streaming nan keynote connected its main website and official YouTube channel connected Tuesday, October 21, astatine 10 p.m. ET. Stay tuned to ZDNET for updates and sum of each nan announcements astatine that time.