Samsung's Headset to Offer Better Displays Than Apple Vision Pro

[MacRumors]

Samsung's upcoming AR/VR headset will feature more advanced displays than Apple's Vision Pro, according to a new supply chain report from The Elec that reveals key specifications and sourcing strategies.

Samsung is preparing to launch its first extended reality (XR) headset later in 2025, and it will reportedly contain displays that surpass the resolution of Apple's Vision Pro. The Elec claims that the device will use 1.3-inch OLEDoS (OLED on Silicon) microdisplays with a pixel density of approximately 3,800 pixels per inch (PPI).

In comparison, the Vision Pro uses 1.42-inch OLEDoS panels from Sony with a pixel density of 3,391 PPI. The increase in pixel density will likely represent a significant improvement in visual clarity over the Vision Pro. Despite having a slightly smaller panel, which could reduce the field of view, Samsung's headset should be able to deliver sharper visuals.

The Vision Pro was the first mainstream consumer device to adopt OLEDoS microdisplays. OLEDoS technology allows for extremely high resolution in compact form factors, making it particularly suitable for immersive virtual reality applications.

Samsung is apparently reviewing plans to source OLEDoS panels from both Sony and Samsung Display, with Sony currently acting as the main supplier. While Sony is recognized for its expertise in microdisplay manufacturing, it has limited its production capacity and previously declined Apple's request to expand output for the Vision Pro. Sony's focus remains centered on its entertainment business, and it is reportedly cautious about committing additional resources to its display operations.

Article Link: Samsung's Headset to Offer Better Displays Than Apple Vision Pro

 

[goonie4life9]

Folks, Apple seeks to be the best, not the first, in skating to where the puck will be. The Apple Vision Pro is the best-in-class device for ushering-in the era of spatial computing. Everybody recognizes the Apple Vision Pro is a beta product for early adopters to try tomorrow's technology, today. So, Apple has already arrived to where the puck will be and when the technology catches up, watch out, because the ALL NEW Vision Pro will truly be a game changer for ultra pros!

 

[bunce66]

I am skeptical that this will make any difference at all really. Once you reach a certain pixel density, it doesn't make a difference going beyond that.

 

[Plutonius]

Apple has probably saturated the market on most people who would buy this.

My opinion only but I think that the glasses form factor is the way to go and that market has potential.

 

[russell_314]

Samsung is apparently reviewing plans to source OLEDoS panels from both Sony and Samsung Display, with Sony currently acting as the main supplier. While Sony is recognized for its expertise in microdisplay manufacturing, it has limited its production capacity and previously declined Apple's request to expand output for the Vision Pro.

It sounds like Samsung offered more $$$$ than Apple 😂

 

[DC Wallaby]

I mean … if you’re trying to build a device to compete with the headset Apple announced two years ago and launched a year and a half ago, I should hope that the one today would have better technology. 🤷🏻‍♂️ And probably significantly less expensive.

 

[kaplag]

Folks, Apple seeks to be the best, not the first, in skating to where the puck will be. The Apple Vision Pro is the best-in-class device for ushering-in the era of spatial computing. Everybody recognizes the Apple Vision Pro is a beta product for early adopters to try tomorrow's technology, today. So, Apple has already arrived to where the puck will be and when the technology catches up, watch out, because the ALL NEW Vision Pro will truly be a game changer for ultra pros!

I think Apple is headed to where the puck will be but–they are for sure not there.

A clear use case for an expensive high quality AR product is 3d graphics/animation creation. Apple Vision Pro can't really help with this right now. In visionOS 26 they announced two features that are moving in that direction. 1. motion pen support. 2. Mac apps can open up visionOS views.

If/when a 3D creation Mac app adopts these features, 3d artists can start a workflow on the Mac as usual, then jump into Apple Vision Pro to do previews, detailed sculpting, and texturing with the motion pen.

But that's looking out a head to where this is going just from their WWDC announcements.

 

[JohnRckr]

Folks, Apple seeks to be the best, not the first, in skating to where the puck will be. The Apple Vision Pro is the best-in-class device for ushering-in the era of spatial computing. Everybody recognizes the Apple Vision Pro is a beta product for early adopters to try tomorrow's technology, today. So, Apple has already arrived to where the puck will be and when the technology catches up, watch out, because the ALL NEW Vision Pro will truly be a game changer for ultra pros!

I’m not sure if you’re trolling right now or not..
I really don’t know.

 

[iBluetooth]

The difference is only 5% in the number of pixels, when you counter in the difference in size. So, the difference is probably not noticeable.

 

[jarman92]

Not sure a ~12% increase in PPI can reasonably be called a "significant improvement in visual clarity."

 

[kaplag]

I am skeptical that this will make any difference at all really. Once you reach a certain pixel density, it doesn't make a difference going beyond that.

Higher display density is the last thing on my priority list.

The things that would make the biggest difference is better lenses, wider field of view, and better passthrough video quality. And it sounds like, unless they've got some fancy lenses that can compensate for this, they will have a worse field of view because they'll have smaller displays.

Things that matter
- Better passthrough quality, which is more limited by the camera specs than the display specs. Apple Vision Pro rendered content is really sharp and clear.
- Better lenses because around the peripheral vision the actual glass curvature distorts my vision and so a lot of the things I can see are not really usable because they are out of focus.
- wider field in view in general to be seeing less black blinders to feel more immersed and see more of my surroundings.

 

[jarman92]

I mean … if you’re trying to build a device to compete with the headset Apple announced two years ago and launched a year and a half ago, I should hope that the one today would have better technology. 🤷🏻‍♂️ And probably significantly less expensive.

Samsung also always has better displays because it literally makes Apple's displays 😂

 

[WarmWinterHat]

More goofy-ass goggles at an even higher resolution? How exciting.

 

[GUNSTAR1]

Folks, Apple seeks to be the best, not the first, in skating to where the puck will be. The Apple Vision Pro is the best-in-class device for ushering-in the era of spatial computing. Everybody recognizes the Apple Vision Pro is a beta product for early adopters to try tomorrow's technology, today. So, Apple has already arrived to where the puck will be and when the technology catches up, watch out, because the ALL NEW Vision Pro will truly be a game changer for ultra pros!

I wish that had been true for the last 6-7 years..

 

[jarman92]

Higher display density is the last thing on my priority list.

The thing that would make the biggest difference is better lenses and wider field of view. And it sounds like, unless they've got some fancy lenses that can compensate for this, they will have a worse field of view.

Things that matter
- Better passthrough quality, which is more limited by the camera specs than the display specs. Apple Vision Pro rendered content is really sharp and clear.
- Better lenses because around the peripheral vision the actual glass curvature distorts my vision and so a lot of the things I can see are not really usable because they are out of focus.
- wider field in view in general to be seeing less black blinders to feel more immersed and see more of my surroundings.

I don't mind the current FOV but I think better passthrough quality and lower latency is key. And it may not even be possible to do adequate passthrough at all.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

wow, the device from 2025 still apparently being finalized has newer technology than the one announced in 2023 and likely finalized in 2022?
Color me shocked.
also, I could be wrong here, but one of the highly criticized part of the Apple Vision Pro was the FOV not being big enough, and it sounds like these Samsung headsets will have… An even smaller FOV.
as someone who can’t even interpret visual content, I don’t care, but in my brain, I feel like higher resolution but smaller FOV is going to lead to a worse experience.

 

[Dreamail]

Somehow I cannot see how a 12% increase in pixel density will result in "a significant improvement in visual clarity"...

Whether your 13" MacBook Air display has 2560 pixels horizontally (as currently) or gets 2867 pixels (if made by Samsung) makes very little difference I assume. The picture quality would not improve in any big shape or form, I doubt most people would even notice.

I bet the small DPI increase was only done so that Samsung can finally get some bragging rights against Apple.
But in reality it will make little to no difference.

 

[jarman92]

I wish that had been true for the last 6-7 years..

Apple released the first M-series Macs 5 years ago 😑

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Then the question becomes, do they have a solution like the M2 to move that many pixels.

And, this is also the answer to the question “Have Sony’s yields gotten significantly better”? The answer is no, but not because they’re trying and not hitting it, they just don’t want to try, spin up new plants for production and have the next display tech leave them with plants and no one wanting to buy the panels.

 

[xaanaax]

Competition is good for us

 

[George Bailey]

Samsung also always has better displays because it literally makes Apple's displays 😂

Sony makes the Vision Pro displays 😂

 

[barabba9174-bis]

PPI doesn’t make sense in VR. The right criteria is PPD, so it takes in consideration the result on the eyes.

 

[Postal]

This is overselling the differences, frankly.

A higher PPI doesn't matter much if the field of view is smaller, and the Vision Pro's isn't that large to begin with. Android XR is interesting and I'll be happy if Samsung's headset is great overall, especially if it comes in at a significantly lower price. I just don't think Vision Pro owners will be weeping and gnashing their teeth.

For that matter, I've worn a Vision Pro... it's already at the "I can't see the pixels" level.

 

[Rychiar]

I am skeptical that this will make any difference at all really. Once you reach a certain pixel density, it doesn't make a difference going beyond that

simply not true in VR. there is a ways to go there. I never saw the point in 8k video but I sure see it now in VR... in fact we need 16k or higher now to make it truly great.

 

[vinegarshots]

Samsung is so obsessed with copying every move Apple makes, that they seem to have missed the part where most people don't care about these headsets in the slightest. Strange business strategy IMO