What's Next For Vision Pro? Apple Should Take A Cue From Xreal's Smart Glasses

Forget Samsung's $1,800 Galaxy XR, nan Android XR instrumentality I'm really intrigued to spot is Xreal's Project Aura, an improvement of nan company's existing smart glasses. Instead of being an costly and bulky headset for illustration nan Galaxy XR and Apple Vision Pro, Xreal's devices are for illustration over-sized sunglasses that task a virtual show atop transparent lenses. I genuinely loved Xreal's $649 One Pro for its comfort, surface size and comparative affordability.

Now that I'm testing nan M5-equipped Vision Pro (full reappraisal to travel soon!), it's clearer than ever that Apple should replicate Xreal's winning formula. It'll beryllium a agelong while earlier we'll ever spot a smaller Vision Pro-like instrumentality nether $1,000, but Apple could easy build a akin group of comfortable smart glasses that much group could really afford. And if they worked for illustration Xreal's glasses, they'd besides beryllium acold much useful than thing for illustration Meta's $800 Ray-Ban Display, which only has a mini surface for notifications and speedy tasks for illustration video chats.

While we don't person immoderate pricing specifications for Project Aura yet, fixed Xreal's history of delivering devices betwixt $200 and $649, I'd stake they'll travel successful cheaper than nan Galaxy XR. Xreal's existing hardware is little analyzable than nan Vision Pro and Galaxy XR, pinch smaller displays, a much constricted section of position and nary built-in battery. Project Aura differs a spot pinch its tethered computing puck, which will beryllium utilized to powerfulness Android XR and presumably clasp a battery. That constituent unsocial could thrust its value up to $1,000 — but hey, that's amended than $1,800.

During my clip pinch nan M5 Vision Pro, I couldn't thief but ideate really Apple could bring visionOS to its ain Xreal-like hardware, which I'll telephone nan "Vision Air" for this thought experiment. The basal sunglasses creation is easy capable to replicate, and I could spot Apple leaning into lighter and much premium materials to make wearing nan Vision Air moreover much comfortable than Xreal's devices. There's nary uncertainty it would beryllium lighter than nan 1.6-pound Vision Pro, and since you'd still beryllium seeing nan existent world, it besides avoids nan consciousness of being trapped successful a acheronian VR headset.

To powerfulness nan Vision Air, Apple could repurpose nan Vision Pro's artillery battalion and move it into a computing puck for illustration Project Aura's. It wouldn't request nan afloat capabilities of nan M5 chip, it would conscionable person to beryllium smart capable to juggle virtual windows, representation objects successful 3D abstraction and tally astir visionOS apps. The Vision Air besides wouldn't request nan afloat array of cameras and sensors from nan Vision Pro, conscionable capable way your fingers and eyes.

I could besides spot Apple matching, aliases moreover surpassing, Project Aura's 70-degree section of view, which is already a immense leap beyond nan Xreal One Pro's 57-degree FOV. Xreal's earlier devices were severely constricted by a mini FOV, which meant that you could only spot virtual screens done a mini sliver. (That's a problem that besides plagued early AR headsets for illustration Microsoft's HoloLens.) While wearing nan Xreal One Pro, though, I could spot a immense 222-inch virtual show wrong my view. Pushing nan FOV moreover higher would beryllium moreover much immersive.

In my reappraisal of nan original Vision Pro, I wrote, "If Apple conscionable sold a headset that virtualized your Mac's surface for $1,000 this well, I'd ideate imaginative professionals and powerfulness users would beryllium each complete it." That whitethorn beryllium an achievable extremity for nan Vision Air, particularly if it's not chasing full XR immersion. And moreover if nan Apple taxation pushed nan value up to $1,500, it would still beryllium much sensible than nan Vision Pro’s $3,500 cost.

While I don’t person precocious hopes for Android XR, its specified beingness should beryllium capable to push Apple to double-down connected visionOS and present thing group tin really afford. If Xreal tin creation comfortable and functional smart glasses for a fraction of nan Vision Pro’s cost, why can't Apple?