Samsung is set to launch its highly anticipated extended reality (XR) headset, known as Project Moohan, later this year, according to a company spokesperson who spoke to CNBC on Tuesday.

The device marks Samsung’s ambitious entry into the evolving XR market, directly challenging Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro, which launched last year.

Samsung first teased the Project Moohan headset last year but unveiled it publicly for the first time at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona this year. The XR device aims to merge the digital and physical worlds, offering an immersive experience through advanced visual and interactive technology.

Innovative Features and Design

While Samsung has not disclosed full specifications, the physical device features four cameras on the front lens and what appears to be touch controls on its side. The company collaborated with tech giants Qualcomm and Google to develop the Android XR platform, a new operating system designed for XR devices.

The headset will also integrate Google Gemini, providing a “conversational user interface” allowing users to interact with Google’s AI assistant, potentially enhancing navigation through apps and tasks. The presence of multiple cameras suggests the device could support gesture controls similar to those on Apple’s Vision Pro.

Patrick Chomet, Executive Vice President of Samsung’s Mobile Division, emphasized the role of intelligence in the device’s functionality.

“To me, the breakthrough technology is a combination of advanced vision capability with intelligence that understands user intention. I think without the intelligence part, it’s a defective product,” Chomet told CNBC.

His statement reflects the broader vision of the tech industry, where AI-powered digital assistants play a critical role in delivering a seamless user experience.

A Fresh Attempt at XR After Early VR Ventures

Samsung was one of the early entrants into the virtual reality (VR) space, having launched its Gear VR headset in partnership with Oculus in 2015. However, the VR market did not expand as rapidly as expected, leading to a quiet retreat from that segment.

With advancements in display and processing technologies, the XR market is gaining renewed interest from major tech players. Samsung is hoping that its new XR headset, coupled with sophisticated AI and gesture control, will capture the growing market for mixed and extended reality devices.

Competing with Apple and the Future of XR

Apple’s Vision Pro, which debuted at $3,500, has set a high bar in the XR space, offering advanced hand tracking, eye control, and immersive displays. Samsung’s Project Moohan will likely be closely compared to the Vision Pro, particularly in functionality, user interface, and price point.

During a presentation in January, Samsung hinted at a broader product roadmap, including a trifold smartphone and potential smart glasses. These smart glasses could represent a future direction for the XR lineup, offering similar experiences to a headset but in a more compact and wearable form factor.

Industry analysts believe Samsung’s entry into the XR market could invigorate competition and potentially lower prices for consumers.

“Samsung’s partnership with Qualcomm and Google gives it a strong foundation in hardware and software integration, which could be critical for the success of Project Moohan,” said Jitesh Ubrani, a research manager at IDC.

“The XR market is still in its infancy, and while Apple has positioned itself as a premium leader, Samsung’s strategy might focus on accessibility and integration with its broader ecosystem of devices,” Ubrani added.

Despite the hype, XR devices still face challenges in mainstream adoption. Price, comfort, battery life, and the breadth of applications are critical factors that could determine the success of Project Moohan. Samsung’s focus on combining advanced vision technology with intelligent interfaces could offer a unique value proposition.

As the tech world awaits the official launch and pricing details of Project Moohan, the XR market appears poised for a new wave of competition that could accelerate the development of augmented and mixed reality technologies, pushing them closer to everyday use for consumers.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced a new milestone in the country’s power sector, achieving a peak generation of 5,713.6 megawatts (MW) on March 2, 2025. The power was successfully transmitted across the national grid, marking a 170MW increase from the previous peak of 5,543.20MW recorded on February 14, 2025.

However, the new peak generation still falls short of Nigeria’s all-time maximum peak of 5,801.60MW, reached on March 1, 2021. The record-setting event occurred at 21:30 hours on Tuesday, highlighting TCN’s continued efforts to enhance the country’s power generation and transmission capacity.

In addition to the peak generation milestone, Nigeria’s electricity industry also set a new record for daily energy transmission, achieving 125,542.06 megawatt-hours (MWh) on March 2, 2025. This surpassed the previous record of 125,159.48MWh set on February 14, 2025, by 382.58MWh. TCN noted in its statement that this achievement represents the highest daily energy transmission ever recorded in Nigeria’s electricity industry.

Implications for Nigeria’s Power Sector

The new milestone is seen as a positive step towards improving Nigeria’s electricity supply, which has long been plagued by inadequate generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure. While this achievement underscores TCN’s enhanced capacity to manage power loads across the national grid, industry analysts caution that the gains may not translate into improved electricity access for households and businesses unless distribution bottlenecks are addressed.

Nigeria’s power sector is notorious for its inability to efficiently deliver electricity from generation companies (GenCos) through transmission (TCN) to distribution companies (DisCos), ultimately reaching end users. The transmission potential of 8,100 MW that TCN boasts of remains largely underutilized due to constraints within the distribution network, including outdated infrastructure, poor maintenance, and limited grid capacity.

Experts warn that unless these challenges are addressed, increased power generation will not significantly alleviate the power supply issues faced by Nigerians. They recommend targeted investments in distribution infrastructure and regulatory reforms that encourage efficiency and competition in the power sector.

The recent achievement is part of a series of record-breaking performances by TCN in recent years. In February 2025, TCN announced a peak generation of 5,543.20MW, which had surpassed the previous high of 5,478.73MW. The Maximum Daily Energy of 125,159.48MWh achieved then was also a record, exceeding the earlier milestone of 121,674.88MWh set on February 7, 2025, by 3,484.60MWh.

Further back, on January 8, 2021, TCN reported a peak transmission of 5,552.80MW, demonstrating a consistent but slow upward trend in generation capacity. At that time, the peak transmission at a frequency of 50.08Hz had surpassed the October 30, 2020, record of 5,520.40MW.

However, while TCN celebrates this milestone, Nigerians remain unimpressed, with many arguing that the achievement is far from meeting the country’s actual needs. Experts have pointed out that Nigeria requires an estimated 30,000MW for a stable and reliable power supply, making the latest peak generation a modest gain in a sector long plagued by inefficiencies.

Challenges and the Way Forward

Nigeria’s power sector continues to grapple with significant challenges. Distribution companies often struggle with capacity limitations, leading to frequent load shedding and blackouts. The sector is also burdened by liquidity issues, with many DisCos struggling to recover costs due to poor metering systems and billing inefficiencies.

This power generation gap has forced many industries to either scale down operations or shut down entirely, leading to job losses and compounding the unemployment crisis in the country. The power situation has also discouraged foreign investment, as many investors cite the unreliable electricity supply as a significant obstacle to doing business in Nigeria.

Analysts believe that for Nigeria to fully realize the benefits of increased power generation, comprehensive reforms are needed. These include enhancing grid infrastructure, implementing effective metering systems, and promoting investments in renewable energy sources to diversify the energy mix. Additionally, clear policies that support privatization and liberalization of the power market could help attract investments and drive efficiency.