China's Xreal partners with Google for 'Project Aura' AI glasses

Chinese augmented reality (AR) startup Xreal has collaborated with Google on “Project Aura,” an initiative to introduce AI glasses next year. These glasses will be powered by the Android XR operating system and Google’s Gemini AI, representing a major advancement for China’s R&D capabilities within the global tech landscape.

First revealed at Google’s I/O developer conference in May, Project Aura takes the form of thick sunglasses from China’s Xreal. It runs on Android XR, a unified platform collaboratively developed by Google, Qualcomm, and Samsung.

The device features a dual-chip architecture: an Xreal X1S chip integrated into the frames and a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip housed in a separate, tethered puck that also contains the battery.

The glasses employ optical see-through lenses with a 70-degree field of view. Users can interact with applications projected into their sightline via hand gestures, showcasing the innovation from China’s Xreal.

Shahram Izadi, vice-president and general manager at Android XR at Google, said, “With Project Aura, we’re showing how Android XR can expand to the broader ecosystem, supporting new types of XR devices.” China’s Xreal is at the forefront of this expansion.

Xreal, founded in 2017 and backed by Alibaba, has rapidly become a significant player. Its “Xreal One” was named one of Time magazine’s best inventions of 2025. In the second quarter of 2025, Xreal captured 4.1% of the global AR/VR market, ranking third behind Meta and Xiaomi, following a 113.7% surge in shipments.

The global smart eyewear market is experiencing rapid growth, with a 54.9% jump in shipments during Q2 2025. This surge is significantly driven by China, where companies like Li Auto, China’s Xreal, Huawei, and Baidu are aggressively entering the AI eyewear sector. China alone is forecasted to ship 2.8 million units this year, highlighting the region’s increasing dominance in this space.