XREAL launches the first Android XR glasses with Gemini and virtual screens

XREAL has opened orders for AURA, the first wired XR glasses powered by Google’s Android XR platform.

Developed with Google and Qualcomm, the glasses overlay apps, videos, and virtual screens on the wearer’s view of the real world. Their transparent lenses let users see their surroundings directly, with a 70-degree field of view for digital content, according to Google’s announcement.

The design is closer to Meta’s smart glasses than Apple’s larger Vision Pro headset. AURA’s frames weigh just under 95 grams, compared with 69 grams for the Meta Ray-Ban Display, and require a separate computing unit connected by a cable.

That portable unit houses the battery and Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Reality Elite processor, and doubles as a trackpad. Users can also control AURA through hand gestures, voice commands, or connected keyboards and game controllers.

Android XR supports multiple app windows arranged around the user, including browsers, documents, and streaming services. Google says AURA has access to millions of Google Play apps and more than 150 experiences designed for XR. A compatible laptop can connect through USB-C to display its screen alongside native Android XR apps.

Gemini can respond to questions about content on those screens and the wearer’s surroundings. With view sharing enabled, it can also highlight relevant details. For movies and games, users can darken the lenses to make virtual screens easier to see.

The hardware includes Sony micro-OLED displays with 1200p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, plus Bose-tuned audio.

The base configuration, with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, costs $1,099 during the launch promotion, down from its regular $1,279 price. A 16GB/512GB version is discounted to $1,299 from $1,499. The offers run through December.

Orders opened October 28, with shipments expected to begin in mid-November.