THE ESSENTIALS IN 30 SECONDS

  • Orders opened to the general public on October 28 in the US, Canada and South Korea; Google says Japan follows on November 2.
  • A launch price of $1,099 for the 12GB/256GB model runs through the end of the year, against a regular $1,279; the 16GB/512GB version is $1,299, normally $1,499.
  • Gemini can see what the wearer sees, in the room or on a mirrored screen, and can now highlight what to focus on.

Xreal's Aura glasses, the first wired device running Google's Android XR, can now be ordered by anyone in the United States, Canada and South Korea. The two companies made the announcement on October 28 at the Android Developer Summit, months after Aura was first teased at Google I/O.

What changed on October 28

The pricing is the main news. Earlier this month, Xreal set a starting price of $1,279 and opened preorders only to people who already held paid reservations. Now, according to TechCrunch, a limited launch price applies through December: $1,099 for the model whose compute unit has 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage, and $1,299 for the 16GB/512GB version, which is otherwise listed at $1,499. Google says orders in Japan open on November 2, and that US deliveries through BestBuy.com begin in mid-November. Buyers must be 18 or older.

The hardware and Gemini

Aura is not a standalone headset. The glasses, which Google says weigh under 95 grams, connect by cable to a pocket-sized compute puck that holds the battery and Qualcomm's Snapdragon Reality Elite platform, which debuts on this device. TechCrunch lists Sony micro-OLED displays at 1200p and 120Hz. The two sources disagree on field of view: Google cites 70 degrees, TechCrunch 95 degrees. The lenses are transparent but can dim to block out the surroundings.

Google presents Gemini as a central feature. The assistant can take in what the wearer is looking at, both in the physical room and on screens, including a laptop mirrored into the glasses over USB-C, and hold a spoken conversation about it. New with this launch, Gemini can highlight what to pay attention to once the user shares their view, and Google suggests it can coach players during games. TechCrunch frames it more modestly, as a question-and-answer assistant that understands on-screen context.

Apps and open questions

The device runs Google Play apps, including more than 150 built for XR according to Google, plus YouTube, Google TV, Maps and Photos, and immersive titles such as the San Francisco Ballet's Nutcracker. Battery life was not stated in either source, and real-world reviews are not yet available. Xreal's chief executive said in May that the whole smart glasses industry is losing money, which makes the discounted launch price worth watching.