392 - Marty’s Vision Pro and Galaxy XR VR Emporium

The latest In Touch With iOS with Dave he is joined by Jill McKinley, Guy Serle, Eric Bolden, Jeff Gamet, Marty Jencius, Ben Roethig. The panel compares Vision Pro vs Samsung Galaxy XR, reviews VisionOS Beta 4, reacts to Apple refusing Vision Pro trade-ins, discusses GM backing away from CarPlay, examines iPhone Air production concerns, and analyzes YouTube’s new AI likeness detection tool and its implications for creators. iPhone Air production and strategy concerns, tied to mid-tier pricing pressure.  YouTube’s new AI deepfake likeness detection, and what it means for creators and security.

The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com

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Summary

In Episode 392, Dave and the panel take on one of the biggest shifts in the VR landscape: Samsung’s new Galaxy XR headset entering the same airspace as the Apple Vision Pro. The group compares weight, comfort, thermal balance, strap systems, and software ecosystems. Marty shares his early hands-on impressions with the Galaxy XR—including its lighter design but occasional light leakage—while Ben and Jill discuss how purpose may determine market success: Vision Pro for spatial productivity, Galaxy XR for approachable consumer entry. 

The discussion moves to VisionOS Beta 4, where developer-focused updates aim to improve stability and groundwork for more immersive experiences. The consensus: incremental but necessary.  

Then comes one of the show’s most passionate sections:

Apple’s decision not to allow trade-ins of the first-generation Vision Pro.

The panel debates how this affects:

    •    customer loyalty

    •    early-adopter trust

    •    whether the Vision Pro is being treated like a dev kit vs. consumer product.

Reactions range from “understandable” to “rough look for a $3,500 device.” 

From there, the conversation shifts to the GM / CarPlay breakup, which inspires instant groans. Everyone shares personal and community stories confirming that CarPlay is no longer a luxury—it’s baseline expectation. One panelist notes even non-tech friends refuse to buy a car without CarPlay, which says more than any product review ever could. 

 iPhone Air production and strategy concerns, tied to mid-tier pricing pressure

 YouTube’s new AI deepfake likeness detection, and what it means for creators and security

Topics and Links

In Touch With Vision Pro this week. 

visionOS 26.1 Beta 3 Release Notes | Apple Developer Documentation 

New Samsung Vision Pro Killer? Samsung's Galaxy XR Mixed Reality Headset Now Available for $1,800

Official Replay | Galaxy Event October 2025 | Samsung

Spec Category	Apple Vision Pro (M5)	Samsung Galaxy XR
Processor / Chipset	Apple M5 chip: 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, built on 3nm process.	Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 platform.
Display & Resolution / Refresh Rate	Dual micro-OLED displays, ~23 million pixels total, up to 120 Hz refresh rate.	Dual micro-OLED displays, 3552×3840 pixels per eye (≈27 million pixels total), refresh up to ~90 Hz.
Weight (headset unit)	Reported ~750-800 g (26.4-28.2 ounces) for M5 version.	~545 g for the headset unit; external battery pack adds additional weight.
Battery Life	Up to ~2.5 hours general use, ~3 hours video playback for M5 version.	Up to ~2 hours general use, ~2.5 hours video. External battery unit (302 g) required.
Memory / Storage	(From earlier model) 16 GB unified memory, storage options (256 GB+, etc) for earlier Vision Pro.	16 GB RAM / 256 GB storage reported.
Ecosystem / OS	visionOS (Apple’s spatial computing platform), tight Apple ecosystem integration.	Android XR OS (built in collaboration with Google and Samsung) with Gemini AI integration.
Launch Price	~$3,499 USD (for base Vision Pro) and remains at that level for upgraded M5 model.	~$1,799 USD at launch.

Apple Confirms Vision Pro is Not Eligible for Trade-In

Apple Releases New Vision Pro Developer Strap

Apple Vision Pro Now Made in Vietnam

Vimeo announces support for more 3D video formats on Apple Vision Pro

Beta this week. 

iOS 26.1 Beta 4 was released. 

Apple Seeds Fourth Betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1 and More

What's New in iOS 26.1 Beta 4 

iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Adds Toggle to Turn Off Lock Screen Camera Swipe

iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Lets Users Control Liquid Glass Transparency with New Toggle - MacRumors

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features for Your iPhone

In Touch With Mac this week 

Apple Seeds Fourth Betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1 and More 

Other Topics

Important! iOS 26 has a new iPhone security setting that you need to turn on immediately

Apple’s Sports app just got better for NFL and college football fans - 9to5Mac

OpenAI Launches 'ChatGPT Atlas' Browser to Compete with Safari and Chrome

OpenAI Acquires Apple Shortcuts Creators to Bring Deep Mac Integration to ChatGPT

News

GM to Remove CarPlay from All Future Vehicles, Including Gas Cars 

Apple's iPhone Air Experiment Fails as Supply Chain Cuts Production by 80% and Report: 'Virtually No Demand' for iPhone Air 

Some Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pros Seeing Discoloration Issue

New 14-Inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro Now Available at Apple Stores 

YouTube Rolls Out AI Likeness Detection Tool to Prevent Deepfakes

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Our Host

Dave Ginsburg is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users and shares his wealth of knowledge of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and related technologies. Visit the YouTube channel https://youtube.com/intouchwithios follow him on Mastodon @daveg65, , BlueSky @daveg65  and the show @intouchwithios

 

Our Regular Contributors

Jeff Gamet is a podcaster, technology blogger, artist, and author. Previously, he was The Mac Observer’s managing editor, and Smile’s TextExpander Evangelist. You can find him on Mastadon @jgamet Pixelfed @[e-mail] and Bluesky @jgamet.bsky.social‬ Podcasts The Context Machine Podcast  Retro Rewatch Retro Rewatch His YouTube channel https://youtube.com/jgamet

Marty Jencius, Ph.D., is a professor of counselor education at Kent State University, where he researches, writes, and trains about using technology in teaching and mental health practice. His podcasts include Vision Pro Files, The Tech Savvy Professor and Circular Firing Squad Podcast. Find him at [e-mail]  https://thepodtalk.net 

Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him by email at [e-mail], on Mastodon at @[e-mail], on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast.

 

Jill McKinley works in enterprise software, server administration, and IT A lifelong tech enthusiast, she started her career with Windows but is now an avid Apple fan. Beyond technology, she shares her insights on nature, faith, and personal growth through her podcasts—Buzz Blossom & Squeak, Start with Small Steps, and The Bible in Small Steps. Watch her content on YouTube at @startwithsmallsteps and follow her on X @schmern. Find all her work at http://jillfromthenorthwoods.com.

Chuck Joiner is the host of MacVoices and hosts video podcasts with influential members of the Apple community. Make sure to visit macvoices.com and subscribe to his podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @chuckjoiner and join his MacVoices Facebook group.

Ben Roethig Former Associate Editor of GeekBeat.TV and host of the Tech Hangout and Deconstruct with Patrice  Mac user since the mid 90s. Tech support specialist. X @benroethig and all other social media @benroethig.   Website: https://roethigtech.com/

Guy Serle is one of the hosts of the new The Gmen Show along with GazMaz and email [e-mail] @MacParrot and @VertShark on X  Vertshark on YouTube, Skype +1 Area code  703-828-4677