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There are already a ton of new smart glasses emerging in 2026, and a lot of them are coming in the form of wearable displays. TCL's RayNeo glasses have been competitors to companies like Xreal and Viture for years now, but the TV- and display-maker's latest model sets itself apart from the competition with HDR 10 in its micro-OLED panels. TCL says it's the first to do it, and I haven't seen it anywhere else in display glasses yet. I took a peek at them at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, just to see what the difference would be.
The $299 RayNeo Air Pro 4 will be available Jan. 25.
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The Air 4 Pro glasses still just have a 1080p resolution, a common limit in wearable displays of this kind right now. The 1,200-nit HDR effects were vivid, though, sometimes almost too saturated for me. The upgraded speakers on the glasses also promise Bang & Olufson-powered audio, but I didn't get to listen in to that at CES.
The look and angled-lens design of the of the RayNeo Air 4 Pro glasses is similar to others from Xreal and Viture, but these cost less than most of them.
Scott Stein/CNETAfter watching a few demo reels, I came away impressed. But I'd love to see display glasses like this project even larger, higher-definition screens in the future. It's likely to happen, but one nice thing here is that RayNeo Air 4 Pros are considerably cheaper than Xreal and Viture glasses on the market now. They're less loaded with extra features, but the displays looked good to me.
TCL's more expensive AR glasses are exploring having an onboard eSIM.
Scott Stein/CNETTCL's pricier standalone AR glasses might get an eSIM
While the lower-price Air 4 Pro glasses need to be tethered to a phone or laptop to work, during my time with TCL I also looked at a non-working prototype of a model of the company's more fully featured standalone AR glasses, the RayNeo X3 Pro, which have their own eSIM onboard. TCL's trying the idea out as a concept for now, but working towards possibly making a standalone cellular AR pair of glasses down the road. The RayNeo X3 Pro glasses can run apps and play 3D games, and aren't all that bulky to wear.
TCL's eSIM glasses project is the first I've seen to embed 4G on standalone glasses that don't have a tethered processing puck. It's unclear what the impact would be on battery life, and which apps could take advantage of the cellular service. But it's also a statement from TCL that the glasses landscape is ready to go cellular, something that others might start doing too.
TCL keeps evolving its glasses game, and it's an interesting company to watch as smart glasses heat up. I'll be reviewing the Air 4 Pro soon (I just picked up a pair), so stay tuned for more impressions.
