XReal has largely flown below the radar right here within the States. The Beijing agency’s Air 2 Pro AR glasses bought a little bit of overview love late final 12 months, however the product is seldom talked about among the many Metas, Apples and HTCs of the world when discussing blended actuality.
This week on the AWE (Augmented World Expo) convention in Southern California, the corporate is showcasing the Beam Pro. The $200 device appears to be like like an Android cellphone and quacks like an Android cellphone, but it surely’s not likely an Android cellphone. Instead, it’s a cellular device designed particularly for XReal’s glasses.
In essence, the Beam Pro is designed to ship Google Play apps to the glasses in “3D space.” XReal writes: “As the ultimate companion device for XReal glasses, XReal Beam Pro gives users a simple way to access all their favorite apps, social media content, streaming entertainment, professional needs, and gaming platforms in a stunning 3D-aware AR environment.”
The Snapdragon-powered device runs Android 14 and options a pair of 50-megapixel cameras for taking 3D photographs and spatial movies, but it surely’s extraordinarily purpose-built and never trying to exchange your handset. It’s a distinctive strategy, definitely — one that harkens again to a bygone period when folks owned iPod Touches as well as to iPhones. There’s a little little bit of Amazon Fire Phone DNA in there by means of the 3D cameras, however the much less mentioned about that, the higher.
“The average user will instantly recognize the smartphone-like form factor,” the corporate writes. “In terms of connectivity, XReal Beam Pro offers dual USB ports for simultaneous use with XReal glasses while charging. 27W fast charging means battery anxiety during a binge-watching or gaming session is a thing of the past.”
Other specs are what one would count on from a $200 device. That consists of a 6.5-inch (2400 x 1080) show, 6 or 8GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of storage — not precisely flagship numbers there. There’s a Wi-Fi-only possibility, in addition to one with 5G, as which level we’re just about speaking about a cellphone.
XReal constructed its NebulaOS proprietary software program layer on high of Android. The pores and skin is designed to ship 2D apps in 3D, whereas providing a distinctive means to interface with the system.
“It’s exciting to see companies like XREAL bring new devices to the ecosystem, making AR more accessible,” Qualcomm Senior Director Sahil Bansal mentioned in a assertion. Other large names concerned embrace Nvidia by means of the off-device CloudXR tech and Amazon Web providers.
The Beam Pro is up on the market now within the U.S., China, Japan and elements of Europe by the XReal web site. It hits Amazon subsequent month.