Nreal’s Latest Smart Glasses Made For YouTube Watching

Chinese company Nreal has launched a new model of augmented reality glasses called Air, designed for streaming shows and mobile games. Nreal launched its first model, the Light mixed reality glasses, to consumers a year ago after rebuffing Magic Leap’s accusation that its founder stole trade secrets to start his own business. Air still needs to be connected to a phone like the Light, but it’s much lighter (77 grams vs. 106 grams for Light) and looks more like a regular pair of sunglasses than its predecessor. Nreal says it also has a better display, which has the ability to project a massive virtual screen up to 201 inches.

The device’s screen has a 46-degree field of view and is powered by a micro-OLED chip for AR devices. It has a high color density, with up to 49 pixels per degree, and a refresh rate of up to 90Hz. In comparison, the Light has a 52-degree field of view and a 60Hz refresh rate. An important characteristic of light and not air is reverse tracking. The new model has no motion tracking, and a company spokesperson told us that based on the use of Light, Nreal expects most owners to simply use the Air. to watch shows on Youtube. They said:

“People we know will use Nreal Air (a lot of them) to just watch shows on YouTube, stream content on local streaming platforms (like Deutsche Telekom’s Magenta) depending on how Nreal is used. Light, which is why the trade-off makes sense; other users are using it for real development. That said, one of the biggest requests we saw was to use Nreal Light for a longer period of time ( meaning lighter weight) and a brighter display. These two would be the key features that were of paramount importance and the basis of how Nreal decided to strike a balance. “

One feature that the light does not have, however, is Air’s “3-step adjustable rake system” which allows users to adjust the viewing angle by tilting the lens and elastic temples. Additionally, the Nreal Air can be paired with Apple iPhones and iPads, not just Android devices. This could increase the possibility for users to find others with the model, so they can take advantage of its new shared digital space that allows multiple people to watch shows at the same time on a single AR screen.

Nreal Air will initially be available in Japan, China and South Korea in December 2021 in partnership with major carriers. It will roll out to other markets in 2022, although the company has not specified additional regions where the device will be available. The company recently raised $ 100 million to fund its international expansion, so the new model will likely be easier to buy than the Light, which only ships to a handful of countries. Those interested will have to wait for the company to reveal how much the device will cost, although it has said the Air “will sell for a fraction of the price of Nreal Light.”