Google and Xreal launched the Xreal Aura on October 28, 2026, marking the first wired extended-reality glasses powered by Android XR. Priced at a discounted $1,099 launch rate through December, the 95-gram wearable features transparent lenses, a separate compute puck with Qualcomm Snapdragon Reality Elite processing, and integrated Gemini AI.
The extended-reality landscape is shifting away from bulky, enclosed visors toward lightweight eyewear that keeps users connected to their physical surroundings. Google and its hardware partner Xreal released the Xreal Aura on October 28, 2026, introducing a split-system wearable that pairs transparent display glasses with a portable computing puck (Xreal Aura launches as first Android XR glasses). The device represents the first time Google’s Android XR operating system has run on glasses rather than a standalone headset.
Xreal Aura Hardware Specifications and Pricing Adjustments
Weighing under 95 grams, the glasses rely on a wired cable connection to an external compute puck roughly the size of a smartphone, which houses the battery and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Reality Elite platform (Xreal Aura is a new wired headset powered by Android XR). The dual Sony Micro-OLED displays deliver a 1200p resolution per eye at up to a 120Hz refresh rate, paired with a 70-degree field of view (Preorder Xreal Aura, new smart glasses powered by Android XR). The device also features peak brightness reaching 1,050 nits, four microphones, Bose audio tuning, and electrochromic dimming with five transparency levels.
A new chapter in spatial computing, built together. XREAL and Google are bringing their shared vision to life with XREAL AURA, the first wired XR glasses powered by Android XR. Combining XREAL's expertise in lightweight XR hardware and optics with the Android XR platform, AURA… pic.twitter.com/BR0StjaMFo
— https://x.com/XREAL_Global/status/2115692609624756310
Xreal adjusted its initial pricing strategy at launch, dropping the cost for early buyers (Surprise: The Google Xreal glasses debut at a Meta-beating $1,099). Customers ordering the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage model pay $1,099 through the end of the year, down from the originally announced $1,279 preorder price. The larger 16GB RAM and 512GB storage version is available for a discounted $1,299 through December, reduced from its standard $1,499 retail price. Xreal stated that customers who preordered at the higher price before launch will receive an automatic refund for the difference (Surprise: The Google Xreal glasses debut at a Meta-beating $1,099).
Gemini Integration and Software Ecosystem on Android XR
Running on Android XR, the glasses provide day-one access to millions of Google Play applications alongside more than 150 software titles designed specifically for spatial computing (Xreal Aura launches as first Android XR glasses). Users can arrange multiple virtual windows around their environment for productivity tasks, connect a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, or use the compute puck’s surface as a trackpad (Xreal Aura launches as first Android XR glasses).
productivity, immersive entertainment, and next-generation XR experiences.
Xreal, press release
Google’s Gemini AI assistant operates natively within the system, analyzing both physical surroundings and active screen content to provide contextual assistance through natural conversation (Xreal Aura launches as first Android XR glasses). Google Photos is also slated to receive an XR update introducing a spatial gallery that wraps a user’s library around them in three dimensions (Surprise: The Google Xreal glasses debut at a Meta-beating $1,099). Entertainment options announced for the platform feature titles such as Fallout Factions
and Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars,
alongside immersive films like Andy Serkis’ “Nevatars,” Galapagos: The Last Eden,
and the San Francisco Ballet’s The Nutcracker.
Global Release Schedule and Regional Availability
Preorders opened on October 28, 2026, for buyers in the United States, Canada, and South Korea, with the hardware launching in Japan on November 2 (XREAL Aura: First Android XR Headset with Gemini and Snapdragon Reality Elite Launches in the U.S.). Initial customer shipments are expected to begin in mid-November, while Google has not announced pricing or availability details for India (XREAL AURA Glasses: Google, XREAL launch AURA XR glasses with Gemini after Meta’s VR push | Tech News). Buyers can also select bundle options, including a Productivity Bundle pairing the Aura with a keyboard, a Gaming Bundle adding a controller, and an All-in-One Bundle featuring both accessories alongside the headset.
Executive leadership shared perspective on the hardware rollout. Xreal Aura is finally here, and we're so proud to unlock new ways for people to work, watch, play, and build,
stated Chi Xu, co-founder and CEO of XREAL, in a press release. Shahram Izadi, VP and GM of XR at Google, described the Aura during the official launch as a completely new way to utilize Android XR.
