XREAL Powers Next-Gen Android XR Experiences

I was initially skeptical about smart glasses and mixed reality headsets. Headsets like the Meta Quest make sense for gaming, but devices such as the Apple Vision Pro never appealed to me. After spending time with the XREAL One Pro ahead of broader Android XR adoption, two things became clear: this hardware could make Android XR practical for many people, and Android XR will significantly expand what XREAL can do.

If you haven’t heard of XREAL, you’re not alone. I knew of the company but was unconvinced that a pair of glasses projecting a screen in front of my eyes would be genuinely useful. That changed when XREAL announced plans to adopt Android XR. I decided to test the XREAL One Pro for myself and found the experience more compelling than expected.

Recently I used the XREAL One Pro connected to a Galaxy Z Fold 7, a MacBook, and a Redmagic Astra 2 tablet. The concept is straightforward: plug your device into the glasses and a customizable virtual display—up to what’s marketed as a 157-inch screen—appears before your eyes. Initially I doubted its utility, but a clear and immediate use case emerged: air travel.

A large floating screen that follows your head movements is ideal on a plane. It’s far better than a cramped seatback display, and wearing the glasses for a few hours felt comfortable. While they don’t look like ordinary sunglasses and do protrude from the face a bit, they’re far easier to carry than a full VR headset and more socially acceptable than bulky headsets.

XREAL One Pro view 1 — *These still don’t look normal, but they’re way less goofy than a VR headset*

XREAL One Pro view 2 — *These still don’t look normal, but they’re way less goofy than a VR headset*

XREAL One Pro portability — *This is so much easier to transport compared to a VR headset*

In terms of picture quality, the One Pro is impressive. Like any near-eye display, you need a minute to adjust the fit and focus, but once calibrated movies look excellent. Mirroring a MacBook provided a large, usable workspace, and I appreciated having a private screen that wasn’t affected when the person in front of me reclined. XREAL’s three-degree-of-freedom (3DoF) tracking is solid on the ground, though it can drift during turbulence on flights.

Not everything worked perfectly across every device. With the Redmagic tablet, some video apps—such as Fandango at Home and Google TV—had playback issues, even though Google TV worked fine when the One Pro was used with my Fold via DeX. The 3D conversion mode also failed to engage on the Redmagic device, while it performed reliably on the Fold. These inconsistencies mostly stem from software and device compatibility rather than the glasses themselves.

XREAL ambient view 1 — *You can change how much of the real world you see, no cameras needed*

XREAL ambient view 2 — *You can change how much of the real world you see, no cameras needed*

That’s where Android XR and upcoming XREAL Aura come into play. The One Pro itself relies entirely on a connected device: onboard controls and software are limited, and the glasses are essentially a display extension of whatever phone, tablet, or laptop you attach. XREAL offers gesture add-ons and even a companion Android phone that provides a UI for the glasses, but native Android XR support promises a deeper, more integrated experience. XREAL has publicly emphasized Android XR as central to its roadmap, and Aura is expected to support both native XR features and external device connectivity.

There’s a place for the current One Pro use cases. Watching movies and extending a laptop screen while traveling are compelling advantages that already make the product useful. But for many users, lower-cost models like XREAL’s A01+—priced around $299—offer much of that value at a more accessible price. I wouldn’t pay $600 for a One Pro just to have a portable large screen, but I would consider an A01+. The XREAL 1S, which I tried at CES, also performs similarly for these specific uses and sits between the two in price and features.

XREAL Aura is scheduled to launch later this year. In the meantime, the One Pro, 1S, and A01+ remain available and provide solid options depending on your budget and needs.

If you’ve tried any XREAL glasses, share your experience in the comments. How did they fit into your routine, and which device did you connect them to?

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