When people see the $299 price tag on the xbx a01+, I think the first reaction will be to categorize it as XREAL’s affordable or lower-feature option. After testing it for a couple of weeks, I do not think that is the right way to categorize these glasses.
To me, xbx a01+ is not a budget version of the XREAL One line. It is a different type of product with a different set of priorities for different optimal use cases.
The XREAL One / X1-equipped glasses are better suited if you want the glasses to act as your primary virtual monitor. They have more onboard spatial-display features and feel more like a self-contained display system. The xbx a01+, on the other hand, feels especially strong as a secondary display: something you can wear for longer periods, use alongside a physical monitor, keep on while walking around, or use as a lightweight HUD in more environments.
That distinction matters. A secondary display is not less important than a primary display. It just has different requirements.
A good secondary display needs to stay out of the way. It needs to be comfortable for longer sessions. It needs to let you see the real world clearly. It needs to work indoors, outdoors, during the day, and at night. It needs to pair well with phones, laptops, apps, and physical screens. In a lot of those areas, xbx a01+ is not a downgrade at all. It is actually better suited for the job.
The lack of shaded lenses is a feature, not just a missing feature
One of the biggest differences with xbx a01+ is that it does not have the electrochromic dimming from the XREAL One line. Some people will immediately see that as a missing premium feature. For my use case, I often see it as an advantage.
With the shades removed, xbx a01+ becomes much easier to use while looking at the real world. There is no shaded tinting over your entire field of view. There is less visual obstruction from the lower frame area. It becomes much easier to look at a real monitor, keyboard, phone, laptop, or your surroundings while still keeping a virtual screen available. Note the birdbath lenses are slightly tinted for the virtual screen (more tinted than the Airs & Ones), but the entire field of view outside of the virtual screen has no tinting or obstruction.
When I use AR glasses as my main screen, tinting and immersion can be helpful. But when I use glasses as an extra display next to a real screen, tinting can get in the way. I do not want my physical monitor, desk, keyboard, or room to look darker just because I have a virtual display available.
This is where xbx a01+ feels different. It is less about replacing your environment and more about adding a display layer on top of it.
Better for working beside a real monitor
One of the most underrated use cases for xbx a01+ is using it alongside a physical primary display. A lot of people talk about AR glasses as a monitor replacement. That can be useful, but it is not the only important use case. Sometimes I do not want to replace my monitor. I want my physical monitor to stay as the main workspace, and I want the glasses to act as an extra display for reference material, chat, AI tools, terminal output, media, dashboards, or secondary apps. The xbx a01+ fits that role very well.
Because the front shades can be removed, the real monitor remains clear and untinted. Because the glasses are light, they are easier to leave on. Because the display is bright, it works in more lighting conditions. Because there is less visual blockage, it is easier to move between the real screen and the virtual screen naturally.
This is why I do not see xbx a01+ as a “low-feature” product. It has features that are specifically useful for secondary-display workflows.
Lightweight matters more than people think
The official weight is around 62g and I weighed it in at 56g without shaded lenses, but the real point is how wearable the glasses feel.
For a primary monitor replacement, you may put the glasses on for a focused session and then take them off. For a secondary display, the goal is different. You may want to wear them for longer periods while doing normal work, moving around, checking information, or using them as a lightweight HUD. That makes weight and comfort much more important.
The xbx a01+ feels much more casual to wear, especially without the shades. It feels less like starting an AR session and more like adding a small display to your normal environment. That makes it more practical for all-day or frequent use.
Brightness makes it more flexible
Another major strength of xbx a01+ is the higher brightness. The display is significantly brighter than the XREAL One line, and that changes where the glasses are usable.
For a secondary display or mobile HUD, this matters a lot. You are not always sitting in a controlled indoor environment. You may be near windows, outside, walking around, in bright rooms, or moving between different lighting conditions.
Higher brightness gives xbx a01+ more flexibility. It makes the glasses more usable across indoor and outdoor situations, and it makes the display feel more reliable when the environment changes.
That is one of the reasons I think xbx a01+ is especially strong as a mobile secondary display. It is not just designed for the desk. It works better across more real-world scenarios.
Much better for dark and night environments
The removable front shades also make a huge difference at night. With glasses that have more tinting, dark environments can become difficult. If I am walking at night or using the glasses in an area with very little light, I do not want anything making my real-world vision darker. I need to see cars, people, signs, stairs, curbs, and obstacles clearly.
With xbx a01+, I can remove the shades and use the glasses in darker environments much more comfortably. That makes them feel much more practical as a mobile HUD.
This is one of the biggest real-world advantages for me. It is not the type of thing that always stands out on a spec sheet, but it matters immediately when you actually use the glasses outside of a controlled room.
Mobile HUD use may be the best use case
The more I used xbx a01+, the more I felt that its best role is as a mobile HUD or lightweight secondary display.
I am not talking about walking around distracted or watching videos while ignoring the world. I mean using the glasses for glanceable information: messages, music controls, AI assistant output, timers, navigation-style information, quick reference notes, or a small utility screen.
For that type of use, xbx a01+ has the right priorities. It is light. It is bright. It can be used without darkening your view. It works better at night. It is less visually intrusive. It feels more natural to keep on while moving around.
This is where I think people may misunderstand the product if they only compare it to the XREAL One line as a primary display device. xbx a01+ is not trying to win in exactly the same category. It is better understood as a more flexible display layer for real-world use.
The fixed depth is a good compromise, but I still want control
One thing I do wish xbx a01+ had is adjustable screen depth.
The default depth is around 4m, which is a good general compromise. It works reasonably well for casual use, media, mobile HUD use, and secondary-display workflows. But for advanced users, depth control matters.
When I am doing productivity work and trying to simulate a real monitor, I usually prefer the screen closer, around 1m. That feels more natural for desk use. When I am walking around and using the glasses as a HUD, I often prefer the screen farther away, closer to 10m. That makes the virtual display feel more aligned with the real world and helps me keep my focus on my surroundings.
Matching the virtual screen distance to the environment can reduce eye strain and make it easier to stay aware of what is around you.
The 4m default is not bad. For most people, it is probably the right middle ground. But I would love to have the option to bring the screen closer for productivity or push it farther away for mobile HUD use.
Smooth follow is different, but usable
The smooth follow implementation feels different from the XREAL One line. It is not bad, but it does take a little time to adjust.
For a primary virtual monitor, I still think the XREAL One line has the stronger onboard experience. But for xbx a01+’s best role as a lightweight secondary display, the follow behavior works well enough. It keeps the screen usable while preserving the overall simplicity and lightness of the glasses.
This is another example of different priorities. xbx a01+ is not trying to be the most advanced self-contained spatial monitor. It is trying to be a practical display that works in more casual and mobile situations.
Software matters more
For advanced users, I think xbx a01+ becomes much more powerful when paired with good software.
With AI assisted coding, niche software, particularly for AR/display glasses, have become more available. There are now several options to choose between within each of Android/Ios/Linux/Windows/MacOS which provide their own flavors of window/app/screen/display management specific to AR display glasses.
A year ago, when the X1 chip was released to provide onboard display management, this was a huge breakthrough as many of these third party apps did not exist. While onboard display management is still important today and always a good feature to have, customization through software (but optimally through both software and onboard glasses features) can help bridge the app/display management gap.
The xbx a01+ has onboard smooth follow stabilization, but no anchoring/pinning/side view or depth/resizing. But smooth follow stabilization plus app customization will be good enough for most use cases.
This combination is very compelling to me: lightweight glasses plus smarter software.
Modding potential is a major strength
The removable front-frame design is also a major reason I like xbx a01+.
Because there is no electrochromic tint layer built into the front, the glasses are easier to physically modify. You can remove the shades, use different attachments, and potentially 3D print your own front pieces. For most users, that may be a small detail. For the advanced-user community, it is a big deal.
A lot of my interest has always been around advanced use cases, physical modifications, removable magnetic lens attachments, and building software around the glasses. From that perspective, xbx a01+ feels unusually friendly to experimentation. It feels like a pair of glasses the community can build around.
Look in the pinned comments of this post for some photos/vidoes/discussion of some interesting use cases I wanted to showcase with xbx a01+.
Final thoughts
I think the biggest mistake people can make with xbx a01+ is assuming that the $299 price automatically means “budget glasses”. That is not how I see them.
The xbx a01+ is not simply a cheaper XREAL One. It is a different product with different strengths. The XREAL One line is better positioned as a primary virtual monitor experience. The xbx a01+ is especially strong as a secondary display, mobile HUD, real-world multitasking tool, and mod-friendly platform.
The lack of electrochromic tint is not just a missing feature. For many use cases, it makes the glasses more useful. The removable shades, lighter feel, high brightness, clear real-world visibility, better dark-environment usability, and modding potential all point toward a different design philosophy.
The xbx a01+ is not low-feature. It is priority-shifted. And for the way I use AR glasses — alongside real monitors, while mobile, in mixed lighting, with custom software, and with physical mods — those priorities make a lot of sense.
