XREAL Aura is a pair of augmented reality glasses from XREAL, built with Google and Qualcomm, and the first glasses to run Google’s Android XR with Gemini built in. Two micro-OLED displays put apps, windows and video in front of you across a 70° field of view, while you still see the room through the lenses. A phone-sized compute puck on a cable does the heavy lifting.
I’m quite interested in the upcoming XREAL Aura and have signed up for updates. Aura has not shipped yet, so this is our first look rather than a full test: what it is, when it comes out, what it costs, and what reviewers at Engadget, Tom’s Guide and Android Central made of it after trying it.
XREAL Aura Promo Code: None needed
Price: from $1,279; refundable $199 priority deposit open now
| Offer detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Promo Code | None needed. XREAL has no public promo code for Aura |
| Price | $1,279 with 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage; $1,499 with 16GB and 512GB |
| Reservation | $199 priority deposit, refundable until you confirm the order, taken off the final price |
| Shipping | From mid-November 2026 in the US, Canada, Japan and South Korea |
| UK | Not in the first wave; XREAL says more countries follow in 2027 |
XREAL Aura: key facts
- Official website: xreal.com
- Owner: XREAL, with Google (Android XR) and Qualcomm
- Headline offer: Refundable $199 priority deposit; shipping from mid-November 2026
- Promo Code: None needed (no public promo code)
- Price from: $1,279 (12GB / 256GB); $1,499 (16GB / 512GB)
- Available in: US, Canada, Japan, South Korea, more countries in 2027
- Best features: 70° field of view, optical see-through; Android XR with Google Play and Gemini; Several floating windows or a big film screen; Works as an external display for a computer
XREAL Aura at a glance
- Made by: XREAL, with Google (Android XR) and Qualcomm
- Glasses weight: about 95g
- Displays: Sony micro-OLED, 1920 x 1200 per eye, up to 120Hz
- Field of view: 70°, optical see-through
- Puck: Snapdragon Reality Elite chip, 4,455mAh battery, trackpad and fingerprint sensor
- Software: Android XR, Google Play apps and Gemini
- Controls: hand tracking and the puck’s trackpad
- Audio: tuned by Bose
- Sizes: medium and large
- Price: from $1,279
Our first look
Aura is the most capable pair of AR glasses announced so far: a full Android XR system, a wide 70° view, Google Play apps and Gemini, in something that still looks like glasses. Early hands-ons are impressed by the display and hand tracking. The open questions are the price, the cable to the puck, battery life and whether there are apps worth wearing it for. We will add a full verdict once we have used a pair.
What looks promising
- Wide 70° view, sharp and bright even outdoors in Engadget’s demo
- Full Android XR with Google Play apps, not just a mirrored phone screen
- Gemini can see what you see and answer questions about it
- Several windows side by side, plus a large screen for films
- Can work as an external display for a computer
- You still see the room around you
What gives us pause
- From $1,279, before UK pricing is known
- A cable to a puck in your pocket or on a lanyard
- The puck got warm in a 20-minute outdoor demo
- Battery life not confirmed for the final model
- Visible cameras and a cable draw attention in public
- Not in the first wave of countries, so no UK date yet
XREAL Aura release date and price
XREAL first showed Aura as Project Aura at Google I/O in 2025 and opened reservations on 16 June 2026. Paid reservation holders can now complete their orders, and orders for everyone else are due to open in the coming weeks. Shipping starts in mid-November 2026 in the US, Canada, Japan and South Korea.
- 12GB / 256GB: $1,279
- 16GB / 512GB: $1,499
- Priority deposit: $199, refundable until you confirm the order
There is no UK price or date yet. XREAL says more countries follow in 2027.
What I want from AR glasses
What interests me most is the possibility of using AR glasses for productivity at home, with multiple virtual screens, different apps, and perhaps watching movies on a large virtual display, while still being able to see my surroundings.
That is exactly where Aura is aimed. Android XR lets you open several apps as floating windows, resize them with a pinch and place them around the room. Aura can also act as an external display for a laptop, and it can put a single large screen in front of you for a film. Because the lenses are see-through, you still see your desk, your coffee and whoever walks into the room.
What reviewers expect from XREAL Aura
Engadget tried Aura at Google I/O in May 2026, moving windows with hand gestures, watching YouTube and scrolling in Chrome. It found the 70° display sharp and bright, even in sunlight, and the pinch gesture reliable. It also noted that the puck got warm during a 20-minute outdoor demo, and that the demo apps were not yet a reason to buy.
Tom’s Guide went hands-on in December 2025 and was impressed by Google Maps directions over the real world, live sign translation and a big entertainment screen. Its concern is whether people will wear glasses this visible in public. It suggested treating Aura as “a sort of public beta test”.
Android Central sees Aura as a headset experience shrunk into glasses, and expects it to lead the next big push for XR. It liked how Gemini can spot a face in front of you and dim the display so you can talk to them.
Gadget Review, writing at launch, said the price pays for a whole Android XR computer in the puck, not just a screen, but that you are still carrying two devices.
The puck and the cable
I don’t really like the separate computing puck and cable, although perhaps I could get used to it. The puck carries the Snapdragon chip, the 4,455mAh battery, a trackpad and a fingerprint sensor, and clips to a belt or hangs on a lanyard. That keeps the glasses at about 95g, but it means a cable from your temple to your pocket.
At a desk or on the sofa, that matters less. Walking down the street, it is the first thing people notice. Actually, I think I’d prefer simpler, lightweight glasses for everyday use outdoors and something more powerful at home for work, entertainment and other things, and Aura seems more like the second type to me.
XREAL Aura vs Meta Ray-Ban Display vs Even G2
| XREAL Aura | Meta Ray-Ban Display | Even Realities G2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | From $1,279 (US) | £749 with Neural Band | £599; £838 with R1 ring |
| Weight | About 95g, plus a puck | 68g to 70g | 36g |
| Display | Micro-OLED, both eyes, 70° | Colour, one lens, 20° | Green, both lenses |
| Runs on | Android XR with Gemini | Meta’s own software | Even’s own software |
| Cable | Yes, to a puck | No | No |
| Best for | Work and films at home | Everyday, outdoors | Everyday, discreet |
Read our Meta Ray-Ban Display review and Even Realities G2 review for the everyday glasses. For a cheaper XREAL that works as a private screen today, see our Xreal XBX a01+ review.
Should you reserve an XREAL Aura?
Reserve one if you want several screens and a big film screen at home without shutting out the room, and you are happy to be an early buyer of a new platform. The $199 deposit is refundable until you confirm the order, so it costs little to hold a place.
Wait for full reviews if you want to know about battery life, comfort over a few hours and which apps are worth it, or if you are in the UK, where there is no date yet. We will review Aura properly once it ships.
XREAL Aura FAQs
When is the XREAL Aura release date?
Shipping starts in mid-November 2026 in the US, Canada, Japan and South Korea. XREAL says more countries follow in 2027.
How much does XREAL Aura cost?
$1,279 with 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage, or $1,499 with 16GB and 512GB.
Is XREAL Aura available in the UK?
Not yet. The UK is not in the first wave of countries, and there is no UK price.
What is the XREAL Aura puck?
A phone-sized computer on a cable, with a Snapdragon chip, the battery, a trackpad and a fingerprint sensor. It keeps the glasses light.
What is the XREAL Aura field of view?
70°, with a micro-OLED display of 1920 x 1200 for each eye.
Can XREAL Aura show several screens at once?
Yes. Android XR opens apps as floating windows you can resize and place around you, and Aura can also act as an external display for a computer.
Does XREAL Aura have Gemini?
Yes. Gemini runs on the puck and can answer questions about what you are looking at.
