Xreal has officially unveiled its new Aura smart glasses. While they certainly won’t be cheap, they’ll still cost considerably less than Snap’s recently announced Specs.
The Aura runs Android XR, Google’s operating system for mixed reality devices, giving users access to a growing ecosystem of apps right out of the box.
Xreal hasn’t revealed exact pricing yet. However, the company says the Aura will launch for under $1,500 before tax when it arrives later this year. That’s a notable contrast to Snap’s Specs, which rely on proprietary software and are currently up for pre-order at $2,195.
The glasses feature an Optical See-Through (OST) display with a 70-degree field of view. They are powered by dual Sony Micro-OLED panels with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 per eye and a 120Hz refresh rate. Since the displays are transparent, users can still see their surroundings, though electrochromic dimming is included for moments when greater immersion is needed.
One of the Aura’s biggest selling points is its support for up to five floating app windows at once, with Google’s Gemini AI assistant built directly into the experience.
Rather than placing all of the hardware inside the glasses themselves, Xreal has opted for a split design. Processing is handled by a separate compute puck powered by the newly announced Snapdragon Reality Elite chipset, while an onboard X1S spatial co-processor manages low-latency tracking and display tasks.
The compute puck also houses a 4,455mAh battery, helping reduce the weight carried on the user’s face. Two configurations will be available, offering either 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage or 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
The Aura supports 6DoF tracking, hand-tracking controls, voice commands through Gemini, and onboard cameras with a visible LED indicator that activates when recording.
Xreal says the Aura will launch this autumn. Those interested can either reserve a standard spot for $100 and receive $200 in launch credit, or secure one of the company’s limited Founder Passes, which include a $300 discount.
