As a tech writer and workaholic, I’ve tried a lot of different gadgets and techniques to get things done on a flight. I don’t need a goliath screen or powerful processor, just a keyboard and a way to see what I’m writing. But as a bigger guy, there is simply no space to work on a laptop in economy class. Flights have been a non-starter for me.
Then I discovered a device that absolutely changed the way I fly. The XReal One AR glasses have literally opened up a whole new world for me in the sky.
Screen for one, please
On the most basic level, these glasses can replace your laptop screen with a virtual floating window in front of your eyes. When you move your head, the screen stays fixed in space. It’s like connecting a portable monitor to your laptop, but only you can see it. Suddenly, you’re Tom Cruise in Minority Report but with fewer hand gestures and less fortune telling.
XReal One AR glasses
You can configure your laptop to either mirror your computer display (effectively replacing it), or extend it by acting as a second screen. On a plane, mirroring is definitely the way to go. I can crack my laptop open just enough to get my hands on the keyboard, and use the glasses as the sole screen. I’m no longer constrained by how far the person in front of me decides to lay their seat back. And with my laptop’s screen at minimum brightness, I avoid disturbing other passengers at night.
No laptop? XReal sells a companion device called the XReal Beam Pro that can power them instead. It looks a lot like a phone, and you can even use it as one, but when you plug in the XReal One glasses, the Beam Pro does all the work. You get a customized 3D interface built on Android that allows you to open up to two apps side-by-side.
XReal Beam Pro
The Beam Pro works like a remote control: You can point it at the interface, tap the screen to grab it, and drag it to make it larger or smaller, closer or further. At its biggest, the virtual screen gives the same effect as a 147-inch screen, which you can watch movies on while you fly along at 35,000 feet. It beats the 11-inch seat-back screens, trust me. The XReal One glasses also have built-in speakers, but on a plane, I prefer to use my Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra 2 earbuds to drown out the noise around me.
Finally, I have a Protoarc folding Bluetooth keyboard with integrated trackpad, so if I don’t want to use my laptop, I simply plug the glasses into the Beam Pro and type on the Protoarc. If you own a Samsung phone, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, you can even skip the Beam Pro, plug the glasses in directly, and turn on Dex mode, which gives a nice desktop-like windowed interface for writing. It fits much better than a laptop on a tray table, and it’s just as effective.
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Protoarc XK01 TP folding Bluetooth keyboard
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
Not a computer for your face
Of course, there are some caveats. The XReal glasses plug into your computer or phone’s USB-C port and draw power from it, which can shorten your typical use time. The Beam Pro has two USB-C ports – one for the glasses and one for charging, which makes this less of an issue. Many laptops can also charge and power the glasses simultaneously, as long as it has the right ports.
Glasses aren’t a total screen replacement, either. I’ve tried leaving my laptop at home and working entirely from the XReal glasses, but having to don glasses simply to tap out a quick email can be more annoying than simply opening a laptop lid.
Finally, using them as a second screen can also be tricky: you have to look down with just your eyes to see your laptop’s monitor, which has given me headaches when I’ve tried it at home.
All that being said, it would not be an exaggeration to call these glasses game changing for the right person. If you’re a frequent traveler and you want to get more done on your next flight, or maybe just watch Superman on a screen that does it justice, you should definitely give the XReal One glasses a try.
