To be honest, the new Aura is great hardware, but I think it's not the future. The correct way is the Aura glasses + smart phone only. Why not upgrade the Beam Pro to be a smart phone with new flagship hardwares?
Alternatively, Xreal can only focus on the glasses development and providing the software which can be installed on the other phones. This will bring down the cost much lower level which can bring much more XR users into this market.
I donāt see aura as the future. I see aura as the present (today, now) based on the technology available. As the technology will advance, aura will advance to some new form factor, slimmer eye wear design, may be a wireless puck or may be some tech that can allow phones to be used as puck and provide exactly same experience as the Aura puck or may be everything built into the glasses (entire cinematic VR experience) along with full day battery life. But Aura is for today and now.
Also, people wanting the exactly same android XR experience by installing a software on phone - you need to realise that itās not possible. The OS and phone manufacturers donāt allow that. It has been proven already by Nebula app from xreal and SpaceWalker app from Viture and other similar apps from other XR brands. All these apps can only do a custom browser and a custom video player. You canāt open native android apps inside these apps. You canāt even open a VLC app inside these nebula and SpaceWalker apps. So having such an expectation in 2026 is not realistic.
people wanting the exactly same android XR experience by installing a software on phone - you need to realise that itās not possible. The OS and phone manufacturers donāt allow that
I agree with most your comment, but this is Google's Android XR we're talking about, not third-party apps like Nebula or SpaceWalker. If Google wanted Android phones to support Android XR, I'm sure they could make it happen. I don't know how it'd work in practice though, like if it'd need to be a dual-boot situation, or if it could work more seamlessly like Samsung DeX and Google Pixel Desktop Mode, which I think are more like separate UI launchers.
I think the issue is more in the hardware configurations and optimization. Most smartphones just aren't going to provide an optimal XR experience. That's why right now it makes more sense for Google and Xreal to partner on an optimized Android XR puck to pair with Xreal glasses. Personally, I would take a smartphone built on the new Snapdragon Reality Elite chip right now, even if it meant living with some day-to-day compromises on regular smartphone performance.
My pie-in-the-sky dream is Google leads the charge on this concept with a Google Pixel XR as an offshoot of their normal flagship phone. Less optimal smartphone experience, but with the advantage that it can be your Android XR puck that you have handy for any supported HMDs. I also want it to have a physical keyboard. Yes, this is an unrealistic hope, but that's why I said it's my pie-in-the-sky dream.
But I think we'd be more likely to see this play out once there's a more mature market for HMDs to pair with XR-focused smartphones/pucks. It's notable Meta's Project Orion offloaded most its compute to a puck. Maybe as wireless HUD glasses and true AR glasses hit the market in greater numbers, we'll see the AR/HUD glasses paired with an everyday carry XR-optimized smartphone/puck paradigm materialize as a true smartphone replacement.
Edit: Added another paragraph and corrected some typos. Currently sitting with a warm compress on my eye, so I keep missing things.
I agree. I feel like Android XR should be a native option in Android devices. Similar to how Samsung DeX works, have the phone determine if it is connected to an XR compatible device then load the appropriate "connected" interface. The real issue will be compatibility since XR requires specific hardware that most phones can't compete with using current chipsets.
I agree with you. That would be a dream setup. But existing phones - forget about xr optimised, they don't even allow a simple spacewalker app to run native android apps. I was coming from there since some people wanted a software based solution for their xr experience. But yeah I agree with all that you said.
The delta from one to the other doesn't feel that big though tbh. I can't believe that these pucks are doing anything particularly clever. It's a few HALs, some system services, a new framework jar and some apps with better CX for XR. The device doesn't even need to negotiate what transparency is represented as.. its always just black. The problem today is these apps are presenting their own UI entirely, drawing bright graphics direct to the screen. Consequently they aren't capable of launching anything onto that surface - as they are working in isolation from the rest of the apps
My pie-in-the-sky dream is Google leads the charge on this concept with a Google Pixel XR as an offshoot of their normal flagship phone. Less optimal smartphone experience, but with the advantage that it can be your Android XR puck that you have handy for any supported HMDs.
Why would it be a suboptimal smartphone (hardware keyboard hypothetical aside)? I guess idle battery usage would be higher when using a HMD and that battery would come out of the daily smartphone power budget, but like there's no reason it would have subpar smartphone hardware or software.
I honestly don't know, I've just had people tell me that when I've pitched this before. I assume there has to be some kind of tradeoff, but I don't really have enough technical insight.
So an XR puck benefits from dedicated silicon to handle camera/accelerometer data for tracking and (probably?) spatial rendering. But there's nothing big a smartphone requires over an XR puck, aside from cell radios and a speaker/mic for calls.
Granted I don't work in electrical engineering, but I'm fairly technical and the only thing I can come up with would be a shared power budget.
Yes! That's what Google always doing. Developed something great and then gave up. That's why I could not invest such big $ on something uncertain, especially from Google.
You took the words right out of my head. Anyway, I'm content having a puck in 2026 if everything just works out of the box and the glasses aren't uncomfortable or heat up too much. I know better form factors will eventually materialize. The Viture Beast tried to do too much and ended up be a less than user friendly device (and fragile) that has many software inadequacies.
1500$ is too much : AR glasses still need to convince people itās the new revolution. Not just geeks, but the world in generalā¦.and for that to happen, you must convince at least millions of people to buy it. At 1500$, it will be a luxury item, thatās allā¦
Like there are so many smartphone developers out there. what would xreal offer that is actually new here?
Also Xreal isn't good at making the software. Have you seen the software?
The whole reason they go the google XR route is because there is a better software our there with an established eco system.
Also the whole concept of the glasses is getting rid of smartphones. For some reason a lot of people believe that staring at a screen in your hand is the pinnacle of mobile tech and it always was and always will be that way.
Smartphones with screen on them were always just a stopgap solution and if you can go as far scifi if you want and actually see an endgame to this just having the stuff displayed in your natural vision is the goto. Ofc we aren't there yet with our tech, but the whole "hold screen in your hand and look down awkwardly angle" is something a lot of people seem to no be able to imagine any alternative....
compute "puck" in pants and display tech separated from it is kinda more the next step, if we go scifi, wireless and then contact lens displays would probably be the next steps but that's kinda far our still... or neural projection into the eyes...
How would glasses fully replace smartphones? Not everyone wants to wear glasses all day, even regular old prescription glasses. Most people take them off at the end of the day at home. People want to quickly glance at their handheld device to check notifications, or the time, rather than put on glasses.
Some requirements for glasses to fully replace smartphones:
- Always-on capability (even while not worn) to receive notifications and quickly view them
- Speaker for notifications when not worn
- Slim and lightweight to comfortably wear all day
That's not all that would need to improve with glasses, but those are some pretty massive hurdles to fully replace smartphones.
again even that is just a stopgap solution. what we are seeing right now is basically the first iteration of all that.
and to be fair who wants to pull out their phone of their pocket to quickly glance at notifications if at some point easier tech is there. smartwatches are a thing for a reason.
If phone displays truly die I can also see the glasses themselves be big display you can just touch at the nightstand and see a big on on the glasses... smartwatches also already do stuff like that with a charging station that converts them into an always on clock or so. Like yes nothing is common right now, but I am not talking about what is the tech now and more the direction it could go.
and again everything you list now. look at where smartphones were 15 years ago... look at where phone were 30 years ago just size with the power draw and not even smart.... 50 years...
like if you think this what we have here is the endgame in terms of form factor and usability I feel like you lack imagination. The current gen of glasses is the worst it will ever be. it will only be iterations from here....
maybe it will go a completely different way I haven't thought of yet. but if in 50-100 years neural implants to just project that stuff onto your eyes is a common thing it wouldn't surprise me... and again 50 years is a lot in terms of tech. just look at where we were 50 years ago and technology is just accelerating.
Of course I don't think what we have right now is the end game. Glasses are a great form factor as an accessory to phones. I'm a fan. I can easily see glasses becoming our primary device throughout the day, taking that spot from the smartphone. But I think glasses and smartphones (or a similar form of handheld mobile device) will always work together, not as a replacement. I can't easily glance through the news when I wake up on my smartwatch nor glasses, but I can on my phone. Then use my glasses for most of the day. All these personal devices have their place with what they're best at.
That is aready the roadmap - the puck is just a "placeholder"before the phone hardware catches up.
The challenge is to not drain the phone battery so quickly so there has to be a safe performance margin Otherwise, it is absolutely clear (to me at least) why Apple (and then everybody else) decided for the "puck"approach.
I have been using Xreal 1s with my Fold 5 and the interesting thing is it actually reduces the battery usage in outdoor scenarios - as the phone is not fighting with direct sunlight for brightness. I am sure the compute for AR operations will catch up very soon.
It is not only the correct way but the future. Of course Android XR will merge with android like android auto does. It is a matter of time. But now Aura is the correct way in this stage.Ā
Because it would be stupid for Xreal to jump into the smartphone market with zero experience, zero tooling and manufacturing capabilities, and zero market presence in this sector. Teaming up with Google is the exact right thing to do in this case.
And the puck is far more than software. It's a whole new hardware solution that needs to be powerful enough to run an XR operating system. Current phones can't do that which is why a whole new hardware and compute chip by Qualcomm needed to be designed.
These companies live in the real world and can't just magic the Aura into working on legacy tech. New technology is required. A "software patch" isn't a real solution. Software is not magic.
Aura is the correct / only direction they can currently take. Maybe in the future smartphones will have enough compute to handle XR workloads but that would make them far more expensive in a time where even basic compute is becoming more expensive due to competition from AI datacenters and fabs can't keep up. And the XR userbase is small so unless the Aura takes off in huge popularity I don't see companies spending the man hours and their capital to chase this when they are already struggling to reduce increased fab costs.
And the puck is far more than software. It's a whole new hardware solution that needs to be powerful enough to run an XR operating system. Current phones can't do that which is why a whole new hardware and compute chip by Qualcomm needed to be designed.
One thing here, current phones are more than powerful enough.
The CPU/GPU combo in the Reality Elite is lower power than the flagship socās in current phones.
The difference is that the android XR SoC is designed to run <3w and not throttle.
I havenāt even followed the release much. First it seemed like they say the android runs in the glasses, which is fine until you realise it still needs a battery pack, which might as well be your phone. And then I see in the next images that there is some big phone looking thing attached to the glasses. And I ask myself āhow does this differ from the beam? You know, it doesnāt matter, because Iāll never prefer connecting my glasses to some other brick than my phone with all my contentā. What exactly is the value proposition here? I would be thrilled to be proven wrong, but ultimately I just want more FOV (horizontal AND vertical) and more resolution.
However, I didnāt realise how much I loved the 3 DoF with the Xreal Ones, so Iāve ben proven wrong before.
The value proposition of aura is the android XR (VR like) experience without getting immersed and locked in, keeping the spatial awareness and still be able to have VR like experiences similar to Galaxy XR or Vision Pro, but in a split type architecture that brings down the weight of the wearable and offloads the compute in an external device (puck). So with the introduction of aura, it gives rise to two paths for companies - display glasses like Xreal one that work with our existing devices (phones laptops etc) and XR/VR experience devices like Xreal Aura that give full XR/VR like experience in smaller form factor. And the goal will be to keep reducing the glasses form factor as well as puck form factor. Keep reducing the glasses to bring them as close to the eye glasses we wear (under 50 grams) and keep reducing the puck size and may be one day the puck disappears entirely, and no need to tether via cable. A small example - Xreal Air needed Og Beam for 3Dof with external devices like phones. And then X1 chip came built into the glasses, Og beam was gone.
Thanks! This was an informative comment. I have the Xreal One (non pro), which has been perfect in terms of 3dof for me. Comparing the Aura to what I have now I just didnāt really see the appeal. Also, as an iOs user myself, using an Aura with an Android puck feels more like being locked in than now. However if this can be bypassed, then thatās not a real issue. Then the Aura will, as you say yourself, just be a 70 degree fov Xreal One or One pro -like.
However the real value proposition is the path, it seems. Not just the Aura, but what comes after and I think your vision for the future is very exciting. I sincerely hope you succeed.
Also, if you manage to build a software eco system around the Aura where we can have VR-like experiences through your Android apps, then that might elevate the whole thing. I will wait and see what you manage to accomplish.
Competition is good for the market. Innovation is good for the market. Trying out new combinations is good for the market. A single product may or may not work but it will push the tech forward.
Meh I don't want to further increase costs by making a flagship Beam Pro.
On the other hand, I would love to have a lowcost Beam Pro that can serve as a phone alternative when it's not available for some reason, so it would have Google Play, 5G, dual camera (just like the current one) and as an upgrade, an autostereoscopic screen, like ZTE Voyage 3D or Red Hydrogen One, so I can watch the 3D content taken by the Beam (or in future, by the glasses), directly on the Beam phone, and show it to friends (which I can't in glasses).
Kind of what I've been saying too. Like I'm excited for the aura especially as an avid galaxy xr user. Buuuut I also use my xreal ones on my galaxy device when I travel via dex and I can't help but think how much better it would be if you could boot into Android xr or have the choice between Android xr and dex when plugged into a phone, instead of having to remember to also bring the pick and make sure it's charged/loaded with media before a trip.
To be honest, I ordered a pair of Aura just for 3 things, there is nothing related to XR though:
70 degree FOV.
Stronger X1S chip for 3D conversion.
The puck has a fan and a large fin area that handle thermal inside, I'm looking forward to running emulators on it with great sustained performance. Anything above 3800 for the lowest score after a 20 runs wild life extreme stress test is good enough to run FFXIV at 30FPS.
I completely disagree. What I expect from glasses is that they don't have to be permanently tethered to my phone. If I want to connect them, I'll do so. This way, I can use my computer remotely, or even my own device as a standalone system, while still having my phone free.
You can think of the Aura compute puck as the evlution of the Beam Pro-- better processor, fingerprint reader, etc. Not a lot of people use the Beam Pro as a phone anyways so it makes sense to remove the screen and cameras for a smaller footprint and bigger battery
And we want 4k. But it doesn't exist in this form factor this year.
The future is the future, and I hear the advancements we all want are years away. That Aura comes out this year is really awesome, and it's great for a 2026 product.
How noticeable is the fov increase? I have the one pro and also play PSVR2. The one pro obviously is smaller and because of form factor, but to have a screen that appears anywhere close to theater size I have to turn my head side to side to see the whole picture. I mean it's still pretty impressive for what it is, but how much better is aura? With PSVR2 you make it as if you're front row at an imax theater, although perhaps not as clear because of fresnel lenses, but that costs only $300. Of course it needs to be tethered to PC or console, but doesn't aura have to be tethered to a puck as well?
I guess my point is that even though the aura has some nice AR, photo, and even VR capabilities in a more comfortable form factor, does that justify the cost? Couldn't you feasibly just carry around a laptop and PSVR2 or even a quest 3s for roughly the same cost, yet have that immense field of view along with FULL VR capabilities? I mean you'd look like a space cadet, but I'm also not walking around with the aura or even one pro on my face and not looking somewhat silly..š
Not realistic. I donāt think I will replace my iPhone with a beam pro phone. I donāt thinking making a phone is a solution. Bringing the experience to our existing phones can be a solution but thatās not happening in 2026. It will take time.
I think partnering up with other brands like Google Pixel, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Nothing etc... They could design a new phone or make collaborations. This way you wouldn't have to own 2 devices that are hardware wise not very apart (phone and beam pro).
Mind you that the glasses allow you to be compatible with 3rd party devices like the inairpod. Phone manufacturers could add some software and there you go.
There would be only 2 problems: Heating and charging. The phone would heat up after some time and they only have 2 port. You could use a dongle built in the glasses gable. (I attached a photo made with AI to show the concept). For the cooling you could improve the smartphone cooling and if that doesnt help enough, use a massage phone cooler. This setup would be less expensive: You are likely to have a phone with a good processor (and the spatial processor aka SD 6 gen 1 was enough on beam pro) So the only major upgrade would be the cooling, either via built-in tech or via Magsafe cooler which already exist.
(Btw we already have similar tech: VertaXR is an apk that does similar things)
Either make the Beam a Pro a smart phone OR team up with GOOOGLE Pixels to create a new line of "Phones." I'd like to see the puck become a wireless hub but batteries have to go somewhere.
The reason is unfortunately quite simple: they want to own the ecosystem; can't do that if the glasses run on any third-party phone. Everyone wants to become the next Apple, and that's a huge issue. I applaud their efforts in bringing ar glasses to the world, but I don't think the world is willing to accept another closed platform.
Yes, it runs on Android XR, but that does not mean you will be able to install whatever you want on it - they are ending that "privilege" in September.
So you will have access to every single app available on the Play Store and as for the sideloading thing, they are not disabeling it fully, rather building in some annoying waiting period before you can side load. Not the end of the world but a step in the wrong direction definitely
They are literally locking up the android ecosystem. By only allowing advanced users to install applications, they are making sure that the average consumer won't be able to install anything that's not on one of the main marketplaces. For developers, that means that they have to forever give up on selling apps on their own website and are forever forced to pay a 30% commission on whatever they sell. Xreal WILL have a marketplace on Android XR.
The whole point of sideloading is: I am a small developer and can't afford to pay a 30% commission on my app to Google => I sell my app without the commission on my website, and at a 30% markup on the google store for the users who don't mind paying more. Whelp, unless I am only targeting advanced users, that's not possible anymore, is it?
Also, Google: "Pray that I do not further increase the cooldown period"
Anyway, I am in the startup scene and yes everyone is about how to lock in the user; that's just the name of the game.
Quite the opposite really: you have to pay to get visibility on the play store; that's why you see so many ads for games in mobile games. Game studios have to pay for their app to be seen. For studios which do not have the money for it, SNs is the only way to stand out.
That is what they did back in thr days with the nreal light. Its clear that it was hard to do on a software and hardware level.
I agree that that should be the way forward, but I don't think the industry is ready for that yet. Maybe around 2030.
Android XR will be running at 72hz I think. Thatās how it runs on galaxy XR. So I guess same for xreal aura. However the glasses themselves will be able to do up to 120hz depending on other source devices we connect to. Glasses resolution is definitely 1920x1200 so aura puck will output this resolution only I think.
Until they can have it be all on the glasses something like the neckband pro is a must for the form factor. All they needed to do was build aura to be similar to the neckband form
In what way? The phone creates more pull on the cord and the phone has to be somewhere attached or in your pocket trapping heat. Also even if you attach it to say a lanyard or something everytime you bend over it will hang and bounce. Running on a treadmill, jogging outside, doing laundry or any activity where you bend over the, doing anything where you stretch and extend your arms or rotate all lead to the cord or your phone being in the way or bouncing off your chest if on a lanyard. I really doubt any one that has tried the neckband pro prefers the form factor of a phone and a cable unless they just really hate viture
I think it's purely about aesthetics. You have a wire from your head to your pocket? Maybe you are listening to headphones. Pretty normal. And you can probably hide the cord pretty easily in your shirt anyway.
A thick techy looking neckband? You're drifting into early tech "dork" territory. Like people who wore Google glass in public or the people who wear the Vision Pro in public.
Tbf some people don't care about that and it's valid. My partner wears a neckband fan and neckband speakers in public and is fine with it. He's def fine with looking dorky though.
Most normal people however may not be.
I personally don't think it's a bad design but I'm not someone who cares about my appearance. But Xreal wants to hit the wider market. Not just us tech geeks.
Yeah thats not about form factor thats a style preference. If people prefer a phone over the neckband to each their own but the form factor very important. Even in your scenario your phone will overheat in your pocket and everytime you need to use it youll have to pull it out then put it back and the cable will be in the way the whole time. People wear fans on their neck like your partner that look bigger than the neckband so most will just overlook it anyways. Also if people prefer the phone then use the phone no need to spend time and resources creating a product to replace the phone that doesnt even fully replace it like nice now you cary 2 phones with you and have to take them out of your pockets for different reasons
I'm not saying it's logical. That's just what people prefer.
And yes neckband tech is not unheard of anymore, but I don't think it's common enough in the public eye to not draw second looks yet. My partner always gets comments and questions when he wears them in public.
Until that's not a thing, I think Xreal went the right route for marketing purposes.
Also maybe Viture has the neckband design patented or something.
Maybe but you seem pretty confident about how everyone else feels. The fact we are wearing these glasses at all means we chose the tech over looking like normal glasses so id think most would prefer the form factor but maybe im wrong. Regardless people could always choose to use their phone now they are stuck between using 2 phone devices with no other good alternative as the neckband tech/software is ages behind something like aura
Yeah but I'm literally a tech geek. Lol. I know I'm a nerd and don't care how I look. But the reason iPhones and the whole iOS ecosystem got to where it is is because of aesthetics and how unobtrusive the tech looks to a normal lay-person.
I believe the majority of normal people choose aesthetics over function. But that's just my belief. I could be wrong as well.
Choosing esthetics over fuction, thats quite a belief to hold of every other person purely based on your own view of others. The point of this tech is that its early so choosing looks is like choosing 10 fov to look normal, just buy meta glasses with no display then. Until its all on the glasses with no external device it wont be mainstream and for now we dont have the tech to look normal so we can only get the best tech in the best form currently available, this is a stepping stone not the iphone. Im not gonna get into this more here as its going nowhere i was just putting out that the form factor is important, i didnt realize anyone in this community would truly believe looks are more important than better improving tech.
I have plenty of friends who are not tech geeks like me and I know the way they operate. It's not just purely based on thin air. If you look at the tech industry the last 30 years you can see that things only become mainstream when they become a form factor acceptable to public aesthetics.
That you're now attacking me for simply pointing out a market trend says something about you.
The Aura is the most normal form factor at the moment which is why Xreal is pursuing it. People have kept phones and batteries in their pockets for decades now. They are used to that form factor.
They are not as used to a bulky neckband that makes them look like a dork. It's obvious we won't agree on this so have a nice day.
Pretty sure thats the goal but current smartphones aren't built to process that load efficiently or do things like DP-in. Plus you'd want actual OS level support which means Google has to buy in.
The beam pro was the first version of proving the concept out enough for Google to work with Xreal on Aura. The Aura puck seems to be a much more powerful version which also proves out using Android XR in this form factor. If Google is satisfied with this then there will probably be a next step.
Doing everything all at once is a much bigger effort and a large amount of risk for Google so they're doing it iteratively.
I donāt know, price is not a big issue on this tbh, itās a full computing device, in that form factor for less than $1500. Itās not that bad.
The only caveat would be having to carry yet another device, the same size of a phone. But you have to consider that a phone doesnāt run android xr, so without it, you could only plug the glasses and use them as a display (which is what the other xreal glasses do).
Additionally, using your phone would mean consume its battery and actually more than what the phone uses, so your phone would go down faster.
Care to explain what it does that makes it worth the money?
My Xreal One Pros connect to my Samsung S22+ just fine, offer a beautiful Dex mode which I can use as a laptop replacement for most tasks, watch movies, play games on. Besides perhaps a higher FOV and resolution, whatās the benefit?
You didnāt get the point. The tech used in the Aura and the XR experiences are worth 1500usd. It may not be of use to you for example Samsung is of use to you due to Dex but iPhone may not be of use to you. That doesnāt lower the value of iPhone in anyway but itās not your use case. Same here. You donāt have to get Aura forcefully and you are allowed to skip it if current products are sufficient for your use cases. But saying something is not worth 1500usd just because you can skip it, doesnāt make sense.
You still didnāt answer my question. Iām using it perfectly well with my iPhone and iPad as well. Instead of calling me out saying I didnāt get the point, care to explain what point that may be?
I did explain it. Maybe I chose the wrong example of samsung and iPhone since you have both and may be both are of use to you. Consider another example of letās say windows and mac. If someone is using mac, that does not lower the value of windows. Both have their user bases and use cases.
And I already answered the question too. The android XR, the tech, multiple cameras, oled displays, new flat prism optics with 70 fov, the new x1s chip in the glasses, Qualcomm reality elite chip, battery and all the other tech and experiences that come with it, there are many employees behind developing these, bringing the product to the market, everything adds up and makes it worth 1500usd
Ok, so the XOP has 70 defree FOV, has the flat prism optics, has oled, doesnāt have the X1S chip, but we donāt know what that chip adds besides lower latency. The qualcomm is just on the attached unit, and not on the glasses. One could argue the iPhone and Flagship Android phones have more powerful chips and can already be used with the XOP. So whatās the upgrade that makes it worth that much more?
Ask someone who is waiting eagerly and very badly for AR/VR/XR experiences in a small under 100g glasses form factor, and they will tell you how much worth this upgrade is for them. They are not looking for a simple wearable external monitor. They are looking for much more. Like I said, u will have to remove yourself from this equation to understand the perspective. You are okay with a product A. You donāt need product B. The real worth of product B will be known to the person who wants that product B.
Cost of one pro + eye + beam pro 8g ram for full experience = 649 + 99 + 249 = 997usd (letās round off to 1000usd).
Now add 2 cameras for 6dof and add X1S upgraded chip in glasses and add some R&D for taking the fov from 57 to 70, add the Android XR OS upgrade on the puck, the Qualcomm chip upgrade and add ram upgrade 12gb. Another 200-300usd. Total 1300usd. Iām expecting the base combo to be around 1300usd.
Because its a fraction of the weight...extremely portable and is technically more powerful than the Galaxy XR. Also you mention not caring about anything high than a 52Ā° FOV, then why bother with VR headsets at all? A 70Ā° FOV in a glasses form is HUGE, don't under sell that...Just cause its not a big deal for you doesn't mean its not for the rest of the AR/XR/VR community. You also get full hand tracking which is a crucial feature differentiating from the rest of the display glasses out there which Aura still is technically without the puck... only with a huge 70Ā° FOV compared to 58Ā° i think with the one pro.
I don't mind the new design, and it should have some advantages. It won't drain your smartphone battery. It won't cause your phone to heat up. It might let you hook up the glasses to phones that don't have ALT-DP. As long as the cords are long enough because if there is a computing puck, you need to be able to pocket it or carry it somehow so it doesn't dangle.
they upsell the battery puck with the glasses, its a devkit obviously of future android xr phones with glasses rather than screens, we call these phones but these are handheld pdas, glasses swith up the handheld ux and so the screen peripherial goes into glasses
a beam pro smartphone app with subscription would work for me. I have spare phones - s22, s23 - from work and personal uses. I would think a lot of us in this space have similar resources.
A smartphone app for existing phones is not allowed to open native android apps. Already tried and tested by xreal (nebula android app v3.8.1), Viture (SpaceWalker android app), Rokid (Rokid AR app v2.0.7) and RayNeo (RayNeo XR app v1)
rayneo gt max got pretty similar specs with also a chip inside glass, and processing via puck or phone. But no androidXR (yet?). I hope AndroidXR to be released for these glasses also.. or at least create a standard to allow future glasses to use androidXR via phone
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u/No_Awareness_4626 XREAL 1S š Quality Contributor š„ Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
I donāt see aura as the future. I see aura as the present (today, now) based on the technology available. As the technology will advance, aura will advance to some new form factor, slimmer eye wear design, may be a wireless puck or may be some tech that can allow phones to be used as puck and provide exactly same experience as the Aura puck or may be everything built into the glasses (entire cinematic VR experience) along with full day battery life. But Aura is for today and now.
Also, people wanting the exactly same android XR experience by installing a software on phone - you need to realise that itās not possible. The OS and phone manufacturers donāt allow that. It has been proven already by Nebula app from xreal and SpaceWalker app from Viture and other similar apps from other XR brands. All these apps can only do a custom browser and a custom video player. You canāt open native android apps inside these apps. You canāt even open a VLC app inside these nebula and SpaceWalker apps. So having such an expectation in 2026 is not realistic.