Augmented reality company Xreal has recently launched the Air 2 Ultra, the latest addition to its Airline series of glasses. Priced at $699, these glasses are designed to directly compete with Meta’s Quest 3 and Apple’s highly anticipated Vision Pro headsets. Developers can already purchase them, and the shipping is set to commence in March.
Advanced Features and Enhanced Capabilities
The Air 2 Ultra boasts additional features compared to its predecessor, the $399 Air 2 model, released by Xreal at the end of the previous year. With full positional tracking offering six degrees of freedom (6DOF) in Xreal’s signature sunglasses-style design, these glasses are optimized for running realistic augmented reality applications. They also serve dual purposes, allowing users to watch TV or engage in flat-screen gaming on a projected screen.
Spatial Computing Experience
Positioned as a complete “spatial computing” device, the Air 2 Ultra draws parallels to Xreal’s earlier Light mixed reality device, incorporating 6DOF tracking. Equipped with two 3D cameras on each side, these cameras map the wearer’s surroundings, enabling features like hand tracking. This capability opens the door for developers to create applications that seamlessly blend real and virtual space, providing a more immersive experience than conventional applications or games.
Technical Specifications
The Air 2 Ultra boasts a 52-degree field of view, surpassing the 46-degree field of view of the Air 2 model. Both versions share common features such as a 500-nit brightness, a 1080p screen for each eye, and a speed rate of up to 120Hz. The Ultra glasses weigh 80 grams, slightly heavier than the regular Air 2 glasses at 72 grams. Compatibility extends to various devices, including Windows and macOS computers, Samsung Android phones, and the iPhone 15. Users can also access Xreal’s Nebula AR experience on Android, macOS, and Windows platforms.
Global Availability and Market Expansion
While primarily targeting developers initially, the Air 2 Ultra is available for purchase on Xreal’s website. Shipping is set to the US, UK, China, Japan, Korea, France, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands. This follows Xreal’s recent announcement of shipping 350,000 pairs of AR glasses, with plans to expand the availability of the Air 2 to more countries in 2024.
Positioning Against Competitors
Xreal, in re-introducing 6DOF tracking with the Air 2 Ultra, positions itself to directly compete with industry giants Apple and Meta. Apple’s Vision Pro, expected to launch in February with a $3,499 price tag, emphasizes immersive experiences through projected flat screens. Meta’s Quest 3, released in October of the previous year, blends virtual reality with mixed reality apps, utilizing passthrough mixed reality. Both competitors are exploring projection-based AR glasses, similar to Xreal’s Air 2 Ultra, indicating a dynamic and evolving landscape in the augmented reality industry
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from Technology - asumetech https://asumetech.com/xreals-cutting-edge-ar-glasses-take-aim-at-the-apple-vision-pro/
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