Xreal slashes Aura price to $1,099 to undercut Meta at US launch
The 95-gram Android XR glasses dropped in price from $1,279 to $1,099 for pre-order customers, with shipping set to begin in mid-November.
By Nadia Singh ·
Google and Xreal reduced the launch price of the Aura mixed reality glasses to $1,099, a $180 drop from the $1,279 preorder rate announced last month. The discount remains in effect through the end of the year. This price move places the device below the cost of Meta's VR Glasses at the start of retail sales.
The Aura headset weighs 95 grams and connects to a tethered Android XR compute puck. It features a 70-degree diagonal field of view, which Xreal describes as one of the widest available for transparent glasses. Buyers in the United States, Canada, and South Korea can order the device immediately. The base model includes 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. A higher-tier configuration with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage is available for $1,299.
Ralph Jodice, general manager and spokesperson for Xreal, confirmed that the company will automatically and instantly refund the price difference to anyone who preordered the device at the original $1,279 rate. The company stated that units are expected to begin shipping in mid-November. The glasses will go on sale in Japan on November 2, with wider global availability planned for the following year.
The launch package includes more than 150 applications designed specifically for XR environments. These include new immersive films such as Andy Serkis' Nevatars and Galapagos: the Last Eden. Users can connect a computer or handheld game console to the USB-C compute puck to mirror content to the glasses. The system also allows users to ask Google's Gemini AI about objects visible in their field of view.
Google Photos will receive a spatial gallery update later this year. This feature wraps the user's photo library around them in three dimensions. Users can pan from a full year of images down to a single day using hand gestures before opening a specific memory in 3D. Xreal is also partnering with GameSir to release a wireless gamepad featuring a dedicated Gemini key. The accessory includes a charging dock and swappable D-pads. Xreal is also announcing a folding portable wireless keyboard, though specific pricing and release dates for both accessories have not yet been provided.
