Xreal has unveiled significant technical details about its upcoming Project Aura Android XR smart glasses at the Augmented World Expo 2025 in Long Beach, California. The announcement provides the clearest picture yet of what could be one of the most advanced consumer AR glasses when it launches in 2026.
Massive Field of View Upgrade Sets New Standard
The standout specification for Project Aura is its impressive 70-degree field of view, representing a substantial leap from Xreal's current offerings. This compares favorably to the 50-degree field of view found in the Xreal One and the 57-degree capability of the Xreal One Pro. The expanded viewing area is made possible through flat-prism lens technology featuring triangular-shaped glass panes, which should provide users with a more immersive augmented reality experience that feels less constrained than current AR glasses.
Tethered Design Mirrors Meta's Orion Approach
Project Aura will operate as a tethered system, requiring users to carry a dedicated computing puck connected via cable to handle the heavy processing workload. This design philosophy closely resembles Meta's Orion AR glasses concept, though Xreal's implementation appears to require a physical tether rather than wireless connectivity. The computing puck will run Android XR and be powered by an unspecified Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, while the glasses themselves will feature Xreal's upgraded X1S chip—a modified version of the X1 processor found in current Xreal One models.
Positioning Against Current Xreal Products
The announcement raises questions about the positioning of recently launched products like the Xreal One Pro. However, Project Aura appears designed for a different market segment entirely. While existing Xreal glasses function primarily as wearable displays compatible with various USB-C and HDMI devices, Project Aura represents a complete spatial computing solution with dedicated Android XR functionality. This fundamental difference suggests the new glasses will command a premium price, likely approaching USD 1,000 or more compared to the USD 649 standalone price of the Xreal One Pro.
Market Implications and Timeline
The Project Aura specifications position Xreal as a serious competitor in the emerging Android XR ecosystem alongside Google's own hardware initiatives. The 2026 launch timeline places it in direct competition with upcoming releases from Meta and Snap, creating what could be a pivotal year for consumer AR adoption. For current Xreal customers, the company hasn't confirmed whether the computing puck and glasses will be sold separately, which could impact the upgrade path and overall value proposition of the ecosystem approach that has defined Xreal's current product strategy.
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| An individual using Xreal glasses while focused on a laptop, symbolizing the future of augmented reality and spatial computing |