The XREAL a01+ just went on sale, and it marks a new direction for the AR glasses maker. XREAL announced US availability of the X By XREAL a01+ on July 10 at $299. In fact, it is the debut product from X By XREAL, a new sub-brand built around affordable, entertainment-first glasses. Also, you can buy them right away at xreal.com, Amazon, Best Buy, B&H, and Micro Center.
The pitch is a pocket cinema. Plug the glasses into a phone, laptop, or handheld console, and you get a virtual screen equivalent to 147 inches viewed from 4 meters. Notably, XREAL’s US store lists the $299 launch price against a $359 regular price.
Big Screen, Tiny Frame
The a01+ weighs just 62 grams, largely because it skips a built-in camera. Specifically, dual-layer Micro-OLED displays run at 120Hz with up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness. HDR10 is supported, and a real-time engine upscales SDR content to HDR. Furthermore, a proprietary spatial stabilization algorithm tracks micro-movements so the virtual screen stays steady on a train or plane.
Comfort gets real attention too. For instance, the glasses carry TUV Rheinland certifications for eye comfort, low blue light, and flicker-free viewing. Additionally, there are three color profiles, plus four audio modes running through built-in 9x20mm drivers. A Whisper mode keeps sound from leaking to your seatmate.
Swappable Style, Cheaper Entry
Indeed, personalization is the sub-brand’s hook. The front frames detach, so you can swap colors and looks the way you would swap a watch band. “Where XREAL’s flagship lines push the frontier of spatial computing, X By XREAL was created to make AR glasses feel more accessible, personal, and fun,” said Chi Xu, XREAL co-founder and CEO.
The price positioning is deliberate. According to Engadget, the a01+ sits well under enthusiast hardware like the $849 ROG XREAL R1, targeting commuters, travelers, and gamers instead. Meanwhile, XREAL’s premium ambitions continue elsewhere: the Android XR-powered Aura Founder Pass sold out in 36 hours earlier this month. Big portable screens are clearly having a moment, as LG’s StanbyME 2 Max showed from a different angle. Ultimately, the $299 a01+ is one of the cheapest ways to try the idea on your face.
