Moreover, Xreal’s affordable smart glasses blueprint offers Apple pathway to mass-market AR adoption at fraction of Vision Pro’s $3,500 price point.
Apple Vision Air represents the affordable AR glasses Apple should build next. While Apple Vision Pro costs $3,500 and weighs 1.6 pounds, limiting mainstream adoption, Xreal demonstrates that comfortable smart glasses can deliver compelling AR experiences at $649 or less. An Apple Vision Air device following Xreal’s formula could finally bring spatial computing to millions rather than thousands of early adopters.
Indeed, Xreal’s Project Aura reveals what affordable spatial computing looks like. Rather than building expensive, bulky headsets like Samsung’s $1,800 Galaxy XR, Xreal creates oversized sunglasses that project virtual displays atop transparent lenses. The Xreal One Pro delivers comfort, practical screen size, and relative affordability that Apple Vision Pro cannot match.
Testing the M5-equipped Vision Pro makes Xreal’s advantages crystal clear. Apple could easily build similar comfortable smart glasses that more people can actually afford. Furthermore, such devices would prove far more useful than Meta’s $800 Ray-Ban Display, which only offers small screens for notifications and quick tasks like video chats.
Why Apple Vision Air Makes Sense
While Project Aura pricing remains unannounced, Xreal’s history suggests devices between $200 and $649. Given that Xreal’s hardware uses smaller displays, more limited field of view, and no built-in battery compared to Vision Pro and Galaxy XR, costs stay manageable. Project Aura’s tethered computing puck—powering Android XR and presumably holding battery—could push pricing toward $1,000, still significantly cheaper than Galaxy XR’s $1,800.
An Apple Vision Air device could hit similar pricing while delivering superior Apple design and visionOS integration. The basic sunglasses design proves easy to replicate. Apple could leverage lighter, premium materials to make wearing Vision Air even more comfortable than Xreal’s devices.
Apple Vision Air Design: Lightweight Smart Glasses
It would certainly weigh less than Vision Pro’s 1.6 pounds. Since users still see the real world, Apple Vision Air avoids the trapped feeling of dark VR headsets—a major comfort advantage for all-day wear.
To power Vision Air, Apple could repurpose Vision Pro’s battery pack into a computing puck like Project Aura’s. It wouldn’t need M5 chip’s full capabilities—just enough intelligence to juggle virtual windows, map objects in 3D space, and run most visionOS apps. Vision Air also wouldn’t require Vision Pro’s full camera and sensor array, just enough to track fingers and eyes.
Vision Air vs Vision Pro: Field of View Improvements
Apple could match or surpass Project Aura’s 70-degree field of view, already a huge leap beyond Xreal One Pro’s 57-degree FOV. Xreal’s earlier devices suffered from small FOV, meaning users could only see virtual screens through tiny slivers—a problem that also plagued early AR headsets like Microsoft’s HoloLens.
While wearing Xreal One Pro, users see a huge 222-inch virtual display within their view. Pushing FOV even higher creates more immersive experiences. For professionals and power users, this represents exactly what spatial computing should deliver.
Apple Vision Air Price: Affordable AR Target
If Apple just sold headset that virtualized Mac screens for $1,000, creative professionals and power users would embrace it immediately. That may prove achievable for Vision Air, especially if it’s not chasing total XR immersion. Even if Apple tax pushed pricing to $1,500, it would remain more sensible than Vision Pro’s $3,500 cost.
During original Vision Pro review, the device’s quality impressed but pricing excluded most consumers. A $1,000-1,500 Vision Air targeting Mac screen virtualization and productivity apps could succeed where Vision Pro’s mass-market aspirations stumbled.
How Apple Vision Air Could Beat Android XR
Android XR’s existence should push Apple to double-down on visionOS and deliver affordable options. If Xreal can design comfortable, functional smart glasses for a fraction of Vision Pro’s cost, Apple certainly can too.
Samsung’s Galaxy XR at $1,800 still costs too much for mainstream adoption. However, it demonstrates growing competition in spatial computing market. Apple risks ceding affordable AR segment to competitors if it only pursues premium Vision Pro strategy.
Project Aura particularly threatens Apple’s position. Its tethered puck approach balances computing power with wearable comfort—exactly the compromise needed for practical daily use. Apple excels at refining others’ ideas into superior products; Vision Air represents perfect opportunity.
Apple Vision Air Software: visionOS Ecosystem Advantage
Apple already built impressive visionOS ecosystem for Vision Pro. Bringing that software to more affordable hardware expands potential user base dramatically. Most visionOS apps don’t require Vision Pro’s full power—they’d run perfectly on hypothetical Vision Air with less powerful processor.
The Mac virtualization feature alone justifies Vision Air development. Professionals working from coffee shops, airports, or coworking spaces would gain private, huge virtual displays without carrying external monitors. That use case targets exactly the mobile professionals who already invest in premium Apple hardware.
Furthermore, Vision Air could introduce spatial computing to younger users and students priced out of Vision Pro market. Building ecosystem loyalty early pays dividends as users upgrade to more capable devices later.
Why Apple Should Build Vision Air Now
Apple possesses world-class expertise in miniaturization, materials science, and manufacturing at scale. Creating comfortable, stylish smart glasses plays directly to Apple’s strengths. The company already manufactures millions of AirPods with sophisticated sensors and batteries in tiny form factors.
Applying that expertise to smart glasses frame seems straightforward. Premium materials like titanium or carbon fiber could reduce weight while maintaining durability. Apple’s design language would distinguish Vision Air from Xreal’s more utilitarian aesthetic while delivering superior comfort.
Ultimately, Xreal proves affordable, comfortable AR glasses can deliver meaningful value today. Apple should take the hint and build Vision Air before competitors dominate the affordable spatial computing market. The technology exists, the use cases are clear, and the price point would finally make Apple’s spatial computing vision accessible to millions rather than thousands.