Samsung teased its latest virtual world offering last month and the product may be available soon.
The world's biggest mobile phone manufacturer is preparing for its first Unpacked event this year. The first major smartphone launch of 2025 could set the tone for the wider industry.
Samsung will unveil its latest flagship device, expected to be the Galaxy S25 series, in San Jose, California. However, that could be upstaged by what has been called Project Moohan and another possible surprise that may beat Apple in one aspect.
What is Project Moohan?
The Galaxy S24 focused on artificial intelligence. Arguably the defining moment of the last Unpacked was the surprise, albeit very brief, unveiling of the Galaxy Ring.
This time, Project Moohan – first teased by Samsung on December 13 – could be the major talking point. It's the company's move into the virtual world offering a combination of virtual, augmented and mixed realities.
Samsung isn't a newcomer to the area, as it already has its Gear VR headsets. But Project Moohan is special because it's the first hardware to be developed for Google's Android XR operating system, which is being positioned to rival Apple's Vision Pro and its visionOS.
Details on Project Moohan have been minimal. However, The Verge was able to demo the headset last month, describing it as “a mix between a Meta Quest 3 and Vision Pro”.
It is unclear when Samsung began developing the hardware. It may, however, formally introduce the device – or at least tease it further – at Unpacked.
That would make sense to build interest and hype for the product. However, that doesn't mean it will be available soon. There could be more testing and any initial release would only be for testers who can give feedback. It took Apple seven months from formally introducing the Vision Pro to selling them.
Aside from operating with Vision Pro, Project Moohan could also be an opportunity for Google to make up for the failure of Google Glass and compete with Meta Platforms' Ray-Ban smart glasses.
What to expect for the Galaxy S25
Despite the interest in Project Moohan, Samsung's latest Galaxy S line-up will still be the headliner of Unpacked.
Three new smartphones are expected to be released – the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+ and the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
However, there are no expected major upgrades. Design-wise, leaks have suggested that the S25 phones will adopt rounder corners, with everything else remaining similar to the S24 model.
Samsung will probably focus on improvements on its Galaxy AI platform, which made its debut a year ago with the S24, which we described as the dawn of the AI smartphone at the time.
The revamped One UI 7 platform is also expected to feature the Now Bar, which lets you access crucial information and actions, such as translations, in a similar way to the iPhone's Dynamic iIsland. However, it'll only be on the lock screen and is located below, unlike Dynamic Island which animates the front camera area on top.
There's also speculation that Samsung may increase the prices of the S25 devices, though such rumours have always been reported before each Unpacked.
Slimming down?
Talk of a slimmer version of the Galaxy S25 first emerged in October. The latest rumours suggest it may not even be available when Samsung announces it.
The purported Galaxy S25 Slim – also being tagged as SE, or Special Edition – is said to have a 170 170-millimetre screen and a thickness of only 6.4 millimetres; for comparison, the upcoming S25 Ultra is expected to be 8.2 millimetres thick.
Noted tech tipster Evan Blass has said that the slim version “will almost certainly not be offered through US carriers”. Phone Arena, citing a “historically trusted source”, said it'll only be available in 39 markets, including Egypt, India, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE.
The move would see Samsung beating Apple in releasing a slimmer smartphone amid rumours that Apple chief executive Tim Cook will introduce what's being called the iPhone 17 Air this year.
Samsung and Apple potentially launching slimmer versions of its devices could lead to another battle between smartphone providers, particularly if other companies follow suit.
Samsung has its work cut out: Apple ended last year with the most global smartphone market share, data from Canalys showed last week.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
BLACK%20ADAM
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
More on Quran memorisation:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
The%20specs
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
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