Is the best way to watch a movie on a pair of sunglasses?
Are XREAL's smart glasses the way of the future for home entertainment?
I, a devoted movie enthusiast, recently had the opportunity to try XREAL's newest smart glasses model, the a01. This device, released in May, is essentially an external monitor powered by a USB-C cable connected to a device of your choice. At an affordable price of around $300, the a01 is primarily optimized for gaming but also advertised for watching movies and TV.
Upon receiving the glasses, I plugged it into my laptop and began watching David Lynch's film Wild at Heart, enjoying the vibrant images provided by the dual mini OLED panels offering a 1080p resolution and up to 1,600 nits of brightness.
However, the experience left me with several questions. Why would I sit next to my computer with glasses on my head, watching a movie that is also playing on my laptop only 14 inches away? XREAL claims the device's projections are equivalent to viewing content on a 147-inch screen, but the redundancy of watching a movie while it plays right next to you brings doubt to the device's purpose.
It's also challenging to use the glasses as a "second monitor" for working on a laptop simultaneously since the images projected by the glasses are difficult to see while working on a separate device.
The glasses can be connected to a phone, but compatibility issues arise with older iPhones. While the user experience seems easy to imagine, there are still limitations. The glasses only function as a screen-mirroring device, requiring the phone's screen to remain active while using the glasses. This results in redundancy, as both screens display the same video. Additionally, the device can be paired with a separate mini-tablet, the Beam Pro, but this additional cost adds to the overall expense.
Furthermore, the a01 tends to heat up, causing an odd tingling sensation on the bridge of the nose and over the eyes. This issue is not unique to XREAL's products, as most XR glasses face similar challenges. Although the a01 is relatively lightweight and comfortable, the heat can still be disconcerting for an accessory worn on the face.
Despite its limitations, XREAL continues to improve its product line. The yet-to-be-released Project Aura, powered by Android XR, promises a more immersive and convenient experience. Featuring native hand tracking, access to the Google Play Store, and a puck for charging and compute functions, the Aura aims to overcome the existing existential dilemmas present in the a01.
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