By running three-degrees-of-freedom spatial computing locally on the X1 — rather than relying on software executing on a smartphone, laptop, or other external device — XReal said the 1S significantly reduces latency when monitoring head movements. The ability to adapt to head movement as fast as possible is important when smart glasses are used as wearable displays, as even small delays can cause visual blur or image lag. The local processing helps deliver a smooth, stable spatial display at all times.
The company also reengineered the proprietary optical engine within the XReal 1S to improve the resolution, brightness, and other qualities of its virtual displays and broaden the field of view without sacrificing the ultra-smooth refresh rate of its predecessor. Furthermore, when moving between indoors and outdoors, the new device will change its display settings using electrochromic dimming to adapt to lighting conditions.
Leveraging Birdbath Lens Technology
One of the main components is its “birdbath lens” technology, said Jodice. The technology uses a curved lens that sits further from the eye than waveguides, which employ thin, light-transmitting plates that resemble the lenses in regular glasses.
While these birdbaths can result in thicker, front-heavy glasses that block more light from the real world, they can deliver sharper resolution, higher brightness, more vibrant colors, and a wider field of view. For these reasons, the technology is widely used by XReal and other companies working on more “VR-like” smart glasses that prioritize image quality.
XReal is focused on smart glasses that function as high-quality wearable displays capable of mirroring screens on other devices and creating a more cinematic, immersive experience. In contrast, Meta and many other companies are rolling out all-day, wear-everywhere smart glasses, applying waveguides that gives users the ability to see the world around them with minimal obstruction. These devices are designed to overlay information such as directions or text onto the user’s view without blocking the real world, even if that means sacrificing image quality.
In many cases, they use waveguides — thin, transparent pieces of glass that carry light from the display to the user’s eyes — in place of regular lenses. This results in hardware that’s lighter, slimmer, and more transparent than birdbath designs.
XReal said it crammed all of the capabilities of the 1S into a lightweight 82-gram frame (or relatively lightweight, since the smart glasses weigh around 40% more than Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which weigh approximately 50 grams). The smart glasses also include Bose technology to deliver high-fidelity audio close to the ear, eliminating the need for headphones or earbuds.
The price of the 1S is lower than its predecessor, the XReal One, dropping from $499 to $449, making it more affordable for entry-level consumers. “Every XReal One Series product has raised the bar for what wearable displays can achieve,” said XReal chief executive and co-founder Chi Xu. “With XReal 1S, we’re not only lowering the cost of entry, we’re doing so while boosting specs and performance, and improving optics.”
Backed by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, XReal is trying to tap into the rising demand for smart AR glasses, a trend that was on full display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this month. The 1S, along with many of the other smart glasses unveiled at the event, underscored how fast the technology is moving into the mainstream, driven by big partnerships, technical innovations, and a broader user base.
What’s next for the company? XReal is collaborating with Google on a new pair of AR smart glasses code-named Project Aura, which will run on the Android XR operating system and be powered by Gemini, Google’s AI assistant.
