Xreal Beam Pro: Slick AR Tablet or Stalled Innovation?

Unbundling AR: The Xreal Beam Pro’s Ambitious But Flawed Bid for a New Era of Augmented Reality

The future of augmented reality (AR) is a canvas painted with diverse possibilities. While some envision a world dominated by all-in-one devices, akin to the ubiquitous smartphone or Apple’s Vision Pro, others see a future where AR systems are unbundled, composed of various components that can be upgraded and tailored to individual needs. The Xreal Beam Pro, a $199 Android device serving as a companion for Xreal’s AR glasses, is a bold bet on the latter approach.

At its core, the Beam Pro is a compact Android device designed to be the brains behind Xreal’s AR experience. It boasts a unique dual-camera setup, capturing 1080p 3D video and 50-megapixel 3D photos, creating immersive content for playback on the aforementioned Xreal glasses. The Beam Pro also provides a much-needed "content machine" for the glasses, allowing users to access streaming apps, games, and various other digital content, all projected onto the virtual screen in front of their eyes.

This unbundling approach offers a compelling advantage: the ability to upgrade individual components instead of replacing the entire system. Imagine swapping out aging AR glasses for newer models while retaining your existing processing unit and content library, similar to upgrading your home theater system. This modular approach promises flexibility and cost-effectiveness, making AR potentially more accessible.

However, the Beam Pro’s execution, unfortunately, falls short of its lofty ambitions. While it’s commendable Xreal tried to deliver an AR companion at a budget price point, the device’s performance struggles to balance its role as a content hub and a powerful AR engine. The 6GB of RAM, while sufficient for basic apps, falls short for handling demanding AR applications. Even with its dual cameras, the 3D content creation feels underwhelming, with limited versatility beyond creating novelty 3D photos and videos.

The Beam Pro’s NebulaOS, Xreal’s custom Android skin optimized for AR interaction, suffers from various bugs and inconsistencies, particularly with its AR-specific features. While the layout tools for app organization in virtual space are handy, the software struggles with responsiveness and suffers from glitches that detract from the user experience.

The Beam Pro also struggles with its dual purpose. As a pure app machine, it’s a decent companion for Xreal glasses, offering a streamlined way to launch and interact with apps. However, it’s hampered by the lack of a powerful chipset to handle complex graphics and demanding AR applications. Additionally, while the design is compact, the 6.5-inch screen makes one-handed use awkward, further hindering the user experience.

"It’s like the glasses and the tablet are in an open relationship; they’re best together but still have plenty of value apart," writes David Pierce for The Verge, highlighting the inherent tension in the Beam Pro’s design. "But the Beam Pro itself just feels a bit underpowered and unfinished. There are too many bugs in its AR-specific features and too many times I really felt the sacrifices required to get this thing under $200."

The Beam Pro, in its current form, represents a stepping stone in Xreal’s journey towards a more unbundled AR future. The company has the foundation for a groundbreaking concept, offering flexibility and cost-effectiveness that could revolutionize the AR landscape. However, the device’s inherent shortcomings, including software instability and performance limitations, hinder its potential.

While the Beam Pro’s current iteration is less than stellar, its core concept remains undeniably promising. The future of AR depends on innovation and the exploration of different approaches. Unbundling AR devices could unlock immense potential, allowing for greater customization and versatility.

The Beam Pro’s shortcomings are a reminder that the path to a truly unbundled AR future is paved not just with innovative ideas but also with meticulous execution. Perhaps the next revision of the Beam Pro, with improved hardware and a more refined operating system, will truly push the boundaries of AR accessibility and practicality. Until then, the Beam Pro remains a compelling but ultimately flawed experiment, a testament to the nascent yet promising world of unbundled augmented reality.

Article Reference