5 Samsung devices you should purchase as an alternative of the $1,800 Galaxy XR

If you’re a Samsung fan and have $1,800 burning a gap in your pocket, the South Korean tech large simply introduced a model new means so that you can spend that cash. On Tuesday, Samsung introduced the Galaxy XR as its long-awaited XR headset to rival the Apple Vision Pro.

As a VR/XR headset within the present market, the Galaxy XR does look promising. It’s obtained spectacular {hardware}, succesful specs, and highly effective software program with Android XR. But on the finish of the day, the Galaxy XR continues to be very costly. The headset itself prices $1,800, and when you purchase the controllers and carrying case, you’re a further $500.

That’s a heap of cash to spend on a first-gen XR headset, even for the most important of Samsung followers. Before you decide to the Galaxy XR, listed here are a number of different Samsung devices that I’d suggest as an alternative.

One of the primary pitches for the Galaxy XR is with the ability to use your entire Android apps in a big, immersive XR view. And as cool as that sounds, it comes with compromise. As snug as we discovered the Galaxy XR to be, carrying an enormous headset isn’t for everybody. The 2.5 hours of reported battery life imply you’ll be able to solely use the Galaxy XR for brief bursts, and it’s not a tool you’ll wish to take out and use in public.

If you desire a big-screen Android system that lasts all day and might simply slip in your pocket, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a significantly better alternative than Samsung’s new headset. While the Fold’s 8-inch internal show isn’t as jaw-dropping because the room-scale experiences you will get from Galaxy XR, it nonetheless seems unbelievable and works exceptionally effectively for multitasking and gaming. Unlike the cumbersome nature of the Galaxy XR, the Fold 7’s slim and light-weight physique offers you that tablet-like expertise in a design that appears like an everyday slab cellphone when it’s folded shut.

Battery life is one other massive benefit for the Z Fold 7, because it simply will get by a full day of use earlier than needing a cost. And then there are the opposite perks that include the Fold 7 being a smartphone, similar to a dependable digicam system and its means to deal with cellphone calls and textual content messages.

At $2,000, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is barely costlier than the standalone Galaxy XR. But when you think about that the Fold 7 is an enormous, immersive display that may additionally operate as a “normal” Android cellphone, it’s infinitely extra sensible in a means the Galaxy XR won’t ever be.

Speaking of smartphones, I’d additionally suggest the Galaxy S25 Ultra over the Galaxy XR. At first, that may sound loopy. Where the Galaxy XR is a glimpse on the future, the S25 Ultra is a fairly by-the-numbers Android cellphone.

While which may be true, there’s a cause for this advice. For one factor, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is among the most succesful smartphones you should buy. It has wonderful battery life, nice cameras, top-tier efficiency, good software program, and — after all — the S Pen. You additionally get all of that for $1,300, which leaves you with $500 leftover in comparison with shopping for the Galaxy XR.

You may save that $500, or you would put it towards one other Samsung system to associate with your new S25 Ultra. You may purchase a Galaxy Watch 8 Classic for that amount of cash, or get the common Galaxy Watch 8 plus a pair of Galaxy Buds 3 FE. It’s additionally value noting that each one of those merchandise are often on sale, so you would very effectively find yourself spending even much less.

Are a cellphone, a smartwatch, and a pair of earbuds as thrilling as an XR headset? Maybe not, however they certain do get you a lot extra on your cash, and for anybody who needs to stretch their {dollars} so far as attainable, it is a much better use of cash than the Galaxy XR.

The Z Fold 7 and S25 Ultra are each wonderful gadgets, however perhaps you don’t want a brand new cellphone. If not, one other Samsung gadget you would possibly wish to take into account shopping for as an alternative of the Galaxy XR is the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra.

Announced final month, the Tab S11 Ultra is Samsung’s newest flagship pill. And what a pill it’s. The 14.6-inch AMOLED show, whereas overkill, is among the finest you’ll discover. Whether you’re watching a film, enjoying a recreation, or simply shopping the net, this is among the finest screens you are able to do it on. The Tab S11 Ultra can also be thinner and lighter than its predecessor, making it a bit of simpler to carry and transport its gargantuan show.

The inside specs are nice, too. Inside the pill is a MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chipset, an 11,6000mAh battery, and 256GB of storage with 12GB of RAM by default. And with a price ticket of $1,200, you’re spending $600 lower than the price of the Galaxy XR.

Similar to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, this places you ready to both A) hold additional cash in your pockets, or B) put that cash in the direction of different Samsung devices.

While we would at some point do all of our computing from gadgets just like the Galaxy XR headset, you continue to can’t beat the practicality of previous laptop computer. If you want a cellular workstation for work, faculty, or no matter else, it’s onerous to justify spending $1,800 on the Galaxy XR when, as an alternative, you would purchase a laptop computer just like the Galaxy Book 5 Pro.

If you’re searching for a skinny and light-weight Windows laptop computer, the Galaxy Book 5 Pro is a very compelling choice. The Intel Core Ultra 7 processor affords ample efficiency, and the “up to 25 hours of battery life” promise blows the Galaxy XR battery life out of the water. You additionally get a 3K AMOLED touchscreen show, plus a tried-and-true bodily keyboard — one thing that clearly doesn’t include the Galaxy XR.

There are a number of configurations of the Galaxy Book 5 Pro, and even the highest-end one — which incorporates 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD — nonetheless prices lower than the Galaxy XR at $1,750. More than virtually anything on this record, that basically places into perspective how rather more you will get on your cash with a extra “traditional” Samsung system in comparison with a flashy XR headset.

Whether it’s the Galaxy XR or Apple Vision Pro, firms like Samsung and Apple tout XR headsets as being unbelievable gadgets for watching TV exhibits and films. And they’re! But that’s solely true when you’re watching one thing by your self. If you wish to watch a film or TV present with a good friend, companion, or anybody else, one of the simplest ways to do this continues to be with a TV.

The S90F is considered one of Samsung’s higher-end OLED TVs obtainable in 2025, that includes the corporate’s HDR+ expertise, 4K decision, and a 144Hz refresh charge. It might not be as immersive as watching a film on the Galaxy XR, however something you watch on the S90F will look rattling good, and you’ll share the expertise with others, too. Plus, if in case you have a gaming PC or a console, you should use the S90F with that, too — in contrast to the Galaxy XR.

The 65-inch S90F usually retails for $2,500, however for the following few days, you should buy it for simply $1,600 — $200 cheaper than the Galaxy XR. If that doesn’t sound like a greater use of cash to you, I don’t know what is going to.