My Galaxy XR fears came true: Samsung apps and AR experiences are not ready

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At launch, Galaxy XR captured the attention of millions of people. I was among those eager to see what Samsung had in store for future users, and I hoped that Samsung had turned some of its existing apps into powerful/killer AR (Augmented Reality) experiences.



Nearly three years ago, I explained why I was worried that Samsung's XR headset wouldn't succeed without powerful XR/AR apps. I stand by that. Alas, I've seen what Galaxy XR can do, now that it is on sale, and I can't say that Samsung alleviated my concerns.



Unless you consider Google Maps a killer XR app, then Galaxy XR doesn't really have one. But what's bothering me even more is that Samsung missed some key opportunities to bring existing One UI apps and experiences to the Galaxy XR environment.



AR experiences on web shop, but not in XR



Here is one concrete example. You can visit Samsung's e-shop on your desktop browser, check out a TV, and initiate an augmented reality view on your phone by scanning a QR code.



Using this clever web tool, e-shop visitors can visualize how large Samsung devices, such as TVs, would fit in their environment.



You'd think this feature would be right at home on the Galaxy XR headset. But you'd be disappointed. It doesn't work. It doesn't exist. That AR visualization tool has remained exclusive to mobile devices.



I don't know what to call this, if not a missed opportunity to showcase both the capabilities of Galaxy XR and promote other Samsung products through augmented reality.



Galaxy XR could have visualized any Samsung product in AR through the Samsung Shop app or web store, promoting the entire ecosystem in AR. Unfortunately, that experience is just a pipe dream. It doesn't exist. Will it ever? It's impossible to say.



SmartThings doesn't work at all with Galaxy XR



And here's another example. I think that the Galaxy XR headset could've been a great tool for creating and visualizing SmartThings 3D Map View.



I would have loved to be able to scan my living area for 3D Map View using the Galaxy XR headset and check my Samsung devices in XR through AR pop-ups. Remote controls could've showed up in the headset from other Samsung devices like air conditioners, TVs, soundbars, and more.



How about accessing the AI Vision cameras inside Bespoke AI refrigerators and ovens through the Galaxy XR headset? That could've been fun. Even things like SmartThings Find could have worked brilliantly in XR.



Unfortunately, none of these experiences exist in Galaxy XR. Worse yet, the SmartThings app can't run on the Galaxy XR headset at all, not even in a 2D window.



As of this writing, Galaxy XR and the SmartThings app are incompatible.



All in all, that's my biggest gripe with Galaxy XR at launch. I understand not having the support of third-party developers right away. But if Samsung couldn't translate its own AR apps and experiences from mobile to the Galaxy XR headset, that feels like a bad start.



It all ends up feeling undercooked and even disappointing, at least to me, given my worries from nearly three years ago. I hope Samsung will address this shortcoming soon, before it's too late. We need more Samsung apps and experiences built into Galaxy XR.



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The post My Galaxy XR fears came true: Samsung apps and AR experiences are not ready appeared first on SamMobile.



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