XReal has largely flown under the radar here in the United States. The Beijing company’s Air 2 Pro AR glasses got some love late last year, but the product is rarely mentioned among the Metas, Apples and HTCs of the world when mixed reality is discussed.
This week at the AWE (Augmented World Expo) conference in Southern California, the company is showing off the Beam Pro. The $200 device looks and feels like an Android phone, but it’s not really an Android phone. Instead, it’s a wearable designed specifically for XReal’s glasses.
Essentially, the Beam Pro is designed to deliver Google Play apps to the glasses in “3D space.” XReal writes: “As the ultimate companion device for XReal Glasses, XReal Beam Pro offers users a simple way to access all their favorite apps, social media content, streaming entertainment, business needs and gaming platforms in a stunning AR environment with 3D awareness. “
The Snapdragon-powered device runs Android 14 and has a pair of 50-megapixel cameras for shooting 3D images and spatial video, but it’s superbly built and doesn’t want to replace your handset. It’s a unique approach, to be sure — one that harkens back to a bygone era when people had iPod Touches in addition to iPhones. There’s a bit of Amazon Fire Phone DNA in there via the 3D cameras, but the less said about that the better.
“The average user will immediately recognize the smartphone-like form factor,” the company writes. “In terms of connectivity, the XReal Beam Pro offers dual USB ports for simultaneous use with XReal glasses while charging. 27W fast charging means battery stress during a watching or gaming session is a thing of the past.”
Other specs are what you’d expect from a $200 device. That includes a 6.5-inch (2400 x 1080) screen, 6 or 8GB of RAM, and 128 or 256GB of storage — not exactly flagships. There’s a Wi-Fi-only option, as well as one with 5G, so we’re pretty much talking phone.
XReal built its proprietary NebulaOS software layer on top of Android. The skin is designed to provide 2D to 3D applications while offering a unique way to interface with the system.
“It’s exciting to see companies like XREAL bring new devices to the ecosystem, making AR more accessible,” said Qualcomm Senior Director Sahil Bansal. Other big names involved include Nvidia through its off-device CloudXR technology and Amazon Web Services.
The Beam Pro is on sale now in the US, China, Japan and parts of Europe via the XReal site. It will hit Amazon next month.
