f you have ever wanted to strap a mid-range computer to your face and pay more than the cost of a proper gaming laptop for the privilege, XREAL has a device with your name on it. XREAL's first pair of Android XR glasses, the XREAL Aura, finally have a concrete price tag. The base 12GB/256GB model starts at $1,279, while the upgraded 16GB/512GB version climbs to $1,499. You are handing over serious money for a gadget that sits on your nose and awkwardly tries to replace both a display and a computer.
Unlike previous models that tethered directly to your phone or laptop by a wire, the Aura relies on an included computing module—or puck—that packs its own battery, processing power, and the Android XR platform. This puck does the heavy lifting, freeing you from a physical cable to your phone, but it introduces an entirely new hurdle: a separate brick you now have to carry, charge, and manage just to make your glasses work.
XREAL Aura is effectively the same core idea, just with an included puck that has a battery, processing power, and Android XR.
There is at least no upcharge for choosing different physical sizes, which feels generous only until you look back at that starting four-digit price tag and remember what else $1,300 can buy.
Pre-orders open later this month, but you cannot simply drop your card details and walk away. As XREAL explained, securing a pre-order requires placing a $199 “Priority Deposit”. The initial delivery wave of XREAL Aura is scheduled to arrive before the holidays, ready to drain your seasonal budget right on schedule. Meanwhile, a second wave is expected to trickle out sometime in early 2027. Your $199 deposit does count toward the final price, but waiting until 2027 for a second-wave delivery of a first-generation device is a fantastic way to test your patience.
At $1,279, the XREAL Aura demands an extraordinary amount of faith from a buyer who just wants a better screen. When mobile XR platforms cost half as much as a used car and significantly more than a flagship smartphone, they stop being practical upgrades and turn into expensive experiments for early adopters. If you need a portable display, stick to simpler, cheaper glasses that don't require you to finance a standalone pocket computer just to watch a video on a flight.