Xreal has launched the A01 Plus, a pair of augmented-reality glasses that beam a large virtual display in front of your eyes — and it undercuts the company's pricier models.
According to Techmeme's summary of reporting by Cameron Faulkner at The Verge, the A01 Plus costs $299, weighs just 62 grams, and packs 1080p micro OLED panels with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 50-degree field of view.
The glasses are essentially a stripped-down, lighter version of Xreal's $449 1S. The Verge describes them as "way cheaper and almost just right," while noting the A01 Plus are flimsier and carry fewer features than the 1S. Even so, The Verge suggests they might deliver exactly what many buyers are looking for.
One quirky detail: the A01 Plus ships with a modular, blue-tinted glasses shell. The Verge clarifies that despite the blue tint, the accessory won't turn your on-screen content blue.
Engadget reports that the glasses are now available to buy and are pitched at gamers and movie-watchers who want a big screen wherever they go — plugging into a device to turn a train seat or hotel room into a personal cinema.
Why it matters: AR glasses have long been expensive and niche, so a credible $299 option signals that wearable big-screen displays are edging closer to something ordinary consumers might actually buy.