Xreal Air Ultra: Hands-On with the AR Glasses Gunning for Apple‘s Crown

The augmented reality wars are heating up, and a formidable new entrant just threw its hat into the ring. Xreal, fresh off a rebranding from its Nreal days, has announced the Air Ultra AR glasses, set for release in early 2024. I got an exclusive hands-on with a pre-production unit and came away impressed. With advanced features and aggressive pricing, the Air Ultra is poised to give Apple‘s Vision Pro and other AR headsets a run for their money.

Sleek Hardware Meets Bleeding-Edge Tech

The first thing that struck me about the Xreal Air Ultra was its sleek, lightweight design. Weighing just 75 grams, the titanium-framed glasses felt comfortable even after extended wear. But don‘t let the svelte form factor fool you – these glasses pack some serious tech.

Dual 1080p Sony microOLED displays deliver a crystal-clear picture with a wide 53-degree field of view (FOV) at a smooth 90Hz refresh rate. That FOV bests the Meta Quest Pro‘s 50 degrees, though it falls short of the Vision Pro‘s class-leading 60 degrees. The displays get seriously bright too, at up to 1600 nits, ensuring clarity even in sunny outdoor conditions.

Under the hood, the Air Ultra leverages Qualcomm‘s latest Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset to power its onboard computing. This includes Xreal‘s custom XUNN (Xreal Ultra Neural Network) silicon, consisting of a vision processing unit and machine learning accelerator. The XUNN chip enables real-time computer vision and AI tasks like hand tracking, object recognition, occlusion, and spatial mapping.

I was particularly impressed with the hand tracking, which felt intuitive and responsive, thanks to twin front-facing depth cameras. Pinching, grabbing, and swiping gestures triggered seamless interactions with the virtual UI and objects in demo apps. Eye tracking, powered by dual infrared cameras, worked well for intuitive scrolling and menu navigation. The eye tracking felt nearly on par with the Vision Pro in terms of accuracy and low latency.

Tethered Convenience, Untethered Ambition

One potential downside of the Air Ultra is its tethered design. Out of the box, the glasses connect via USB-C to a smartphone, tablet, or computer, which handle the bulk of processing and rendering. This approach keeps the glasses slim and lite, but it also means you‘re tied to another device.

Xreal‘s solution is the Xreal Beam, an optional compute unit that attaches magnetically to the glasses‘ temple. Housing a more powerful XR2 chip and additional battery, the Beam enables fully untethered use for 2-3 hours. It‘s a clever design that adds utility without much bulk, though the dangling Beam admittedly looks a bit clunky.

Still, I appreciated the flexibility to easily pop the Beam on for untethered use, then remove it when tethering to my phone or laptop. The USB-C tether is also a plus in terms of broad compatibility – it worked with my Samsung Galaxy and MacBook Pro, no special cables required.

Building an AR App Empire

Hardware is only half the battle, of course. To succeed, Xreal needs a robust ecosystem of compelling AR apps and experiences. The company seems to recognize this, with a substantial push to woo developers to its new Xreal Beam app store.

Beam, set to launch alongside the Air Ultra, will serve as a one-stop shop for discovering, downloading, and managing AR apps. Xreal is enticing developers with an 85/15 revenue split (versus Apple‘s 70/30) and promising a more open, flexible platform than Apple‘s "walled garden."

Critically, Xreal will allow sideloading of apps and direct distribution by developers, similar to Google‘s approach with Android. This could attract devs put off by Apple‘s strict content guidelines and approval process. Xreal is also emphasizing cross-platform development, with SDK plugins for Unity and Unreal that aim to simplify porting from other AR platforms.

At launch, Xreal says Beam will offer over 100 AR apps spanning productivity, gaming, entertainment, and education. Intriguing titles include a mixed reality workspace app co-developed with Zoom, an AR version of Angry Birds, and immersive interactive video content from Disney. To further spur development, Xreal is launching a $20M fund for indie AR devs.

Enterprise Appeal and Killer Apps

While Xreal is primarily targeting consumers with the Air Ultra, the company is also eyeing the lucrative enterprise market. Several of the launch apps will cater to business use cases like remote assistance, training and simulation, and 3D visualization.

The Xreal Beam compute unit will offer upgraded enterprise features, including advanced security and device management controls. Xreal is betting that the Air Ultra‘s sleek form factor and lower price point, relative to enterprise headsets like the Microsoft HoloLens 2 and Magic Leap 2, will appeal to businesses seeking to deploy AR at scale.

Still, the Air Ultra will need some true killer apps to gain traction in the enterprise. While the initial lineup shows promise, it lacks a flagship app that really showcases the transformative potential of AR for businesses. Xreal will need to cultivate deeper partnerships and work closely with enterprise customers to develop bespoke solutions.

David vs. Goliath

Make no mistake, Xreal faces an uphill battle against the likes of Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Magic Leap in the AR market. With its massive brand recognition, vast ecosystem, and deep pockets, Apple in particular looms large as the Air Ultra‘s chief competition.

At $799, the Air Ultra significantly undercuts the $3,499 Vision Pro. But it‘s still a significant investment for most consumers, especially considering the nascent state of AR apps and experiences. To gain market share, Xreal will need to execute flawlessly on its hardware, software, and ecosystem.

Xreal‘s best bet may be to carve out a niche as the "Android of AR" – a more open, flexible platform that appeals to developers and tech-savvy consumers. By focusing on cross-platform development and compatibility with a range of devices, Xreal could position itself as the go-to choice for those seeking an alternative to Apple‘s more closed ecosystem.

The Road Ahead

Looking beyond the Air Ultra‘s 2024 launch, I expect Xreal to continue pushing the envelope on both hardware and software. The company has hinted at a higher-end "Ultra Pro" model with an even wider FOV, more advanced eye tracking, and hand tracking that works at greater distances. We can also expect rapid iteration on the Xreal Beam compute unit, with more processing power and battery life.

On the software front, I believe Xreal needs to double down on its developer ecosystem efforts. The $20M indie fund is a good start, but the company should also consider more hands-on initiatives like an in-house AR studio, developer conferences and hackathons, and deeper partnerships with engine makers Unity and Epic Games.

Longer-term, Xreal‘s success will hinge on its ability to deliver compelling, must-have AR experiences that drive mainstream adoption. This is a tall order, as the killer app for AR (the "iPhone moment") has yet to arrive. But with its impressive hardware, open approach, and developer-friendly stance, Xreal is well-positioned to help usher in the era of ubiquitous spatial computing.

The Bottom Line

The Xreal Air Ultra is a potential game-changer for the AR industry. With its sleek design, cutting-edge tech, and aggressive pricing, it represents the most credible challenge yet to Apple‘s Vision Pro and Meta‘s Quest line. If Xreal can nail the execution and deliver on its promise of a vibrant app ecosystem, the Air Ultra could be the device that finally takes AR mainstream.

But the road ahead is long and fraught with obstacles. The AR market is still in its infancy, and consumer demand for pricey AR glasses remains unproven. Xreal will need to navigate stiff competition, rapidly evolving technology, and the challenge of educating consumers on AR‘s potential.

As an AI/ML practitioner deeply interested in the intersection of immersive computing and artificial intelligence, I‘m excited to see how the Air Ultra leverages the latest advancements in machine learning to deliver more intelligent, intuitive, and personalized AR experiences. From real-time object recognition and gesture control to AI-powered avatar creation and natural language interfaces, the potential for AI to enhance AR is immense.

The next few years will be critical for Xreal and the broader AR industry. With tech giants and startups alike vying for a piece of the AR pie, we can expect rapid innovation, intense competition, and plenty of surprises along the way. One thing is certain: with devices like the Xreal Air Ultra and Apple Vision Pro leading the charge, the age of mainstream AR is fast approaching. Buckle up – it‘s going to be a wild ride.