Samsung's definitely proving to be an innovator with its announcements at IFA 2014, with the Gear VR and the new Galaxy Note Edge smartphone. We think the Gear VR has the potential to be a big hit in the education and gaming markets, and the low price means virtual reality is more accessible than ever. We can't wait to spend more time with the Gear VR when we get it back to our labs.

Expectations around our Sydney office weren’t very high when we took possession of Samsung’s Gear VR headset. Even though we had a keen interest to see what Samsung's teaming with Oculus has come up with for this consumer offering of virtual reality, the consensus was that it would be perhaps be lame and not worth the effort. By the end of the second day, however, even the most cynical of our staff members were enthralled by some of the things they saw. They actually lined up to use the thing.

Great for wow-ing your friends and colleagues; 360-degree videos and photos feel immersive; Easy operation;

Heavy to wear; Limited to about 10min of use before becoming uncomfortable; Can drain the smartphone's battery quickly;

It doesn't matter if you've already got a modern Samsung phone, or are planning to upgrade to what might be the best big phone of 2016) - based on what we've seen, this is probably the best way to get into mobile VR. Samsung will probably keep the price the same, has an ongoing partnership with Oculus to product some great games and apps, and if you pre-order the Note 7, you can nab one for free. It's pretty much future-proof too, so you won't need to upgrade it even if you get a newer Galaxy phone later down the line. If the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are a little out of your price range, and you're rocking a Samsung phone, grab one of these and get into VR on the cheap. It'll officially go on sale towards the end of August. Buy the Samsung Gear VR (2016) here from Amazon

With the new Galaxy Note 7 and its USB-C port (a first for the lineup), Samsung needed an updated Gear VR headset to support the new phone/port combo. But this is more than a compatibility update, if only by a little. Read on, as New Atlas reviews the more evolution than revolution 2016 Gear VR.

I remember putting the Samsung Gear VR on my face and being blown away by the experiences it created. It was my first take-home doorway into virtual reality. That was December, 2014 .

Affordable; Easy to attach; Great audio-visual quality for a phone-based VR accessory; A growing library of apps and games; This model is more comfortable than earlier versions, and you can charge the phone while using it

Only works with a specific collection of Samsung phones; Oculus PC game and app library isn't cross-compatible with Android or Google Cardboard VR ecosystems; Lacks the positional awareness of PC-based VR rigs.

Following last year's launch, the Samsung Gear VR quickly established itself as the top mobile virtual-reality device - so much so, that an army of clones rose in its wake. Now, Samsung has raised the bar even higher with a new model that keeps the same $99 price but adds a wider field of view and...

Sleeker; more comfortable design; Very affordable; Backwards compatibility with older Galaxy smartphones; Wider field of view adds to immersion; Improved app-store interface

Lacks integrated audio

This updated version of Samsung's virtual reality headset hasn't changed much. But the addition of a USB Type-C port and improved field of view might just make a huge difference[...]

Improved lightweight design; Cordless and easy to use; Diverse array of content

Gamepad greatly improves the experience; Walled Garden; No killer app

Great product, costs a little more than others on the market but it's clearly superior and powered by Oculous. It has a Micro USB adaptor in the box for those without USB-C and can be charged whilst being used. A great buy and it will change the way you use your phone!

There's a new Samsung Gear VR in town. If you're keeping count, this is now the fourth iteration of the Korean company's Oculus-powered VR headset . Revealed alongside the new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, the latest Gear VR is the same price as its predecessor – that's £80.

Big selection of apps and vids; Fog issue solved; Easy; fun; affordable

Only works with Galaxy phones; No high end features like motion tracking; Will Daydream kill Gear VR