Xreal’s cheap smartphone-like gadget solves the biggest problems with AR smart glasses
Xreal has unveiled its latest gadget at the Augmented World Expo (AWE) 2024 XR industry showcase, but it’s not AR smart glasses: it’s a smartphone-like device called the Xreal Beam Pro.
The Beam Pro is a successor to the original Beam adapter and solves many of the issues I’ve had with this generation of AR specs – and it’s surprisingly affordable.
The upgraded Beam Pro is an all-new Xreal goggle attachment that is compatible with the Xreal Air and Xreal Air 2 models, including the Pro and Ultra. Simply connect it to your specs with a USB-C to USB-C cable and they turn into bona fide spatial computers running Android 14 and NebulaOS (Xreal’s proprietary operating system).
You can control what you see on the Xreal glasses using the Beam Pro’s 6.5-inch LCD 2K touchscreen. You can also use the screen as you would on a smartphone to manage Play Store apps and adjust your settings, and the dual 50MP cameras on the back let you capture spatial imagery and 3D video at 1080p and 60 fps.
Best of all, it costs just $199 / £189 for the 6GB RAM / 128GB storage model, while the 8GB RAM / 256GB storage model costs $249 / £239. Pre-orders are now live on XREAL.com for the United States, United Kingdom, China, Japan, Germany, France, Italy and Netherlands; availability and prices for Australia are not yet known.
If you pick up the Beam Pro and Xreal glasses you can save on bundles, and those of you with a first-gen Beam can save $50/£40 on a Beam Pro if you pre-order one before July 10, 2024 . .
The AR accessory we needed
I haven’t had a chance to try out the Xreal Beam Pro yet, but it sounds like the AR add-on we’ve needed for a while by solving some of the issues I had with the technology while testing it .
First, finding compatible gadgets can be confusing. There are all kinds of compatibility issues thanks to hardware and software nuances that can be confusing if you’re not technical. Although the original Beam was announced as a possible solution, it still suffered from compatibility issues as it couldn’t be used without a smartphone, while if you pick up the Pro and a pair of Xreal Airs you know you have everything you need. .
Secondly, it solves the battery annoyances I’ve had thanks to the two USB-C ports. The Xreal glasses (and other wired AR specs) can burn your phone’s charge, and it’s not possible to charge your phone and use the glasses at the same time. That’s no problem with the Beam Pro, because you can use it and connect it to power at the same time.
Finally it seems good value for money. Without bundle discounts, AR glasses and Beam Pro setup cost between $498 and $648 / £528 and £638, which is slightly more expensive than a Meta Quest 3.
While AR isn’t prohibitively expensive, it can seem like you’re getting relatively little bang for your buck compared to XR devices like VR headsets due to the compatibility and complexity issues mentioned above.
The Beam Pro gives you a simple plug-and-play option that consists of a pocket TV and a 3D camera and requires no other technology – just a few subscriptions to the best streaming services.
I’ll obviously have to try out the Beam Pro to verify Xreal’s bold promises, but if you’ve been waiting for AR tech to start feeling worthwhile, this is your post to start paying attention to the space – and maybe even finally dive in.