When it launches later this year, Android XR is coming first to Samsung’s mixed reality headset, Project Moohan.
Now, Google has tapped AR glasses creator XREAL to be the second with its newly unveiled Project Aura.
Choosing XREAL as its next Android XR hardware partner makes a good deal of sense here.
Like previous XREAL devices, Project Aura is meant to be a tethered, and not standalone.
It’s uncertain just what external device the device will run Android XR, be it a standard smartphone or dedicated ‘puck’ like XREAL Beam.
Android XR will initially be available on Samsung’s Project Moohan mixed reality headset when it launches later this year. With its recently announced Project Aura, Google has now selected XREAL, a company that creates AR glasses, to be the second.
XREAL, a device from China, will be the second device to officially run Android XR, the company’s upcoming XR operating system that is currently in developer preview, Google announced at its I/O developer event.
The optical see-through (OST) device, codenamed Project Aura, is described by the companies as “a portable and tethered device that gives users access to their favorite Android apps, including those that have been built for XR.”. “.”.
Few details are available yet, but according to XREAL, Project Aura was developed in partnership with Google and chip manufacturer Qualcomm and will be made accessible to developers “soon after” the launch of Project Moohan, which was just confirmed to happen later this year.
In contrast to the more costly waveguide optics found in devices like Microsoft HoloLens, Magic Leap One, or Meta’s Orion AR glasses prototype, XREAL has a history of combining micro-OLEDs with birdbath optics. However, the company has not yet disclosed specifications.
Brighter, higher field-of-view (FOV), and less expensive AR displays are achieved with birdbath optics’ curved mirror system, though this usually leads to bulkier designs. Though prototypes like Meta Orion are defying the trend, waveguides generally have a lower FOV and are more wearable form factors with better transparency. Waveguides are also frequently thinner and more costly to manufacture.
XREAL Project Aura is anticipated to have integrated Gemini AI, which will enable it to perform tasks like real-time translation, AI assistant chats, web searches, object recognition, and displaying contextual information, similar to the Android XR glasses that were showcased at Google I/O and are being produced by Warby Parker and Gentle Monster.
It makes a lot of sense to select XREAL as its next hardware partner for Android XR. Since its founding in 2017, XREAL (formerly known as Nreal) has created several generations of AR glasses, including Nebula, a unique Android launcher designed to manage native AR experiences on Android smartphones.
Project Aura, like earlier XREAL devices, is designed to be tethered rather than standalone. It’s unclear what kind of external device Android XR will run on, whether it’s a specialized “puck” like XREAL Beam or a typical smartphone.
