Xreal is trying out something new in the AR space – combining the breadth of apps and content available on Android devices with the portable large screen experience of its AR glasses. Initially announced in China last month, the new Xreal Beam Pro is now going global.
The device very much looks like a standard smartphone – and that’s on purpose, but it is not a phone. The familiar form factor allows even novice users to pick it up and use it without feeling out of their depth.
The device runs Android 14 with some customizations to help with its AR functions. It is powered by an unnamed Snapdragon chipset with 6/8GB of RAM and 128/256GB storage. There is a microSD slot available to store plenty of content. The base model has Wi-Fi 6 and there is an optional 5G model – it can’t handle voice calls (it’s not a phone!), but it can do streaming on the go with no help from a phone.
Why not use your regular smartphone with a pair of Xreal Air glasses? You can, but only if you have the right phone for the job. Just having USB-C isn’t enough (and all iPhones prior to the 15-series don’t), you also need video out support (which many phone makers skip) and a version of Android that knows how to handle a large screen (this is even more rare). With a dedicated device, Xreal can ensure that all of that works and works well.
There are two other reasons to choose a dedicated device. The Beam Pro, like the original Beam, has two USB-C ports: one for connection with the glasses and one for external power. It supports 27W fast charging.
Dual USB-C ports • microSD slot
The other reason – and this one you can’t get from even an Asus ROG Phone – is the pair of 50MP cameras that allow you to capture spatial photos and videos yourself (1080p @ 60fps videos). These are best viewed using glasses like the Air, but you can also enjoy a 2D version on the device’s own screen. No, the screen is not autostereoscopic like those old 3D phones.
The screen is a 6.5” LCD panel (1,080 x 2,400px) and can be used with regular Android apps. When you don the glasses, it transforms into a touch panel to control apps. Additionally, the device itself can be used as an air mouse thanks to the built-in accelerometer.
Speaking of apps, the Xreal Beam Pro has access to the Google Play Store and as it runs Android 14, it’s compatible with millions of apps and games. Xreal calls its UI “NebulaOS” and has given it multitasking capabilities with two apps sharing the huge virtual screen. Most Android distributions lack this capability, which was one of the factors that motivated Xreal to create this device.
From the Play Store, you can install video streaming services: Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and so on. If you have, say, the Xreal Air 2 Pro glasses, you can enjoy you favorite shows and movies on a screen with an apparent size of 130” (when you’re done, the glasses and Beam Pro can easily fit in a backpack).
The Xreal Beam Pro can be used for work and entertainment
Xreal has planned for gaming applications too and the Beam Pro fully supports the Steam Link, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Amazon Luna and others. Additionally, Nvidia’s CloudXR is supported for users with GeForce RTX GPUs.
As we mentioned, this is intended to be paired with Xreal glasses and depending on which ones you have, you will get a different experience. The Xreal Air, Air 2 and Air 2 Pro can track 3 degrees of freedom (DoF). If you have the Air 2 Ultra glasses, you can enjoy a 6 DoF experience.
The Xreal Beam Pro is surprisingly cheap – $200 for the base 6/128GB Wi-Fi model. That’s on the lower end of mid-range Android phones and it’s not much more than the original Xreal Beam ($110), which has limited capabilities compared to the Pro.
If you want more RAM and storage, you can pick the 8/256GB version. If you have need for Internet connectivity without tethering to a phone, there is a 5G model. For businesses, Xreal will offer Beam Pro Enterprise Edition.
Global pre-orders start now for the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Czechia, China and Japan, Korea is getting it on July 1. The first customers should get theirs in August. Besides xreal.com, you will also be able to find the Beam Pro on Amazon (starting in July). A note for owners of the original Xreal Beam: you can get a $50 discount when purchasing the Pro (valid until July 10).