China’s Xreal to power Google’s Android AI glasses as smart eyewear demand grows
Project Aura, which features dual-chip design and optical see-through lenses, is a fresh example of China’s expanding R&D capabilities
Project Aura, resembling a pair of thick sunglasses, was first announced at Google’s annual I/O developer conference in May. The device runs on Android XR, a unified platform for extended reality (XR) devices built through a partnership between Google, Qualcomm and Samsung, and comes integrated with Gemini AI.
Aura employs a dual chip design, with an Xreal X1S chip embedded inside the glasses and a Qualcomm Snapdragon Chip housed in a separate tethered puck that also holds the battery.
The glasses feature optical see-through lenses, allowing users to clearly view their real-world surroundings with a field of view of 70 degrees. Aura projects applications directly into the user’s sightline, enabling interaction via hand gestures and granting access to Google Play apps.
“With Project Aura, we’re showing how Android XR can expand to the broader ecosystem, supporting new types of XR devices,” said Shahram Izadi, vice-president and general manager at Android XR at Google.