These AR glasses would be my favourite ever gadget if they weren t so expensive TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. These AR glasses would be my favourite ever gadget if they weren t so expensive By Hamish Hector published 9 July 2022 I'm sorry Nreal Air it's not you, it's your price A person watching a western outside using the Nreal Air glasses (Image credit: Nreal) I was lucky enough to test out the Nreal Air AR glasses for our review here on TechRadar, and they are without a doubt one of the coolest gadgets I've ever used. Too bad they're so darn expensive right now. These relatively normal-looking specs have a hidden USB-C port on the end of one arm, letting you plug them directly into a compatible smartphone (opens in new tab). Do this and the glasses will then project an HD image of your phone screen in front of you as if you're sitting in front of a 130-inch TV – and thanks to the speakers in the glasses it's like you have your own private cinema. Sure the image is far from being as good as one of the best 4K TVs out there and the audio is a little lackluster – a problem quickly solved by a pair of Bluetooth headphones – but for something completely portable it's utterly incredible. When coupled with a 5G SIM card, the Oppo Find X5, and a pair of Bose 700 headphones I could launch Netflix and let my hour-long train commutes go by in a flash. I wasn't the only person impressed by them. When traveling with my partner while I had the Neal Airs, we would always squabble over who could wear them; neither of us was happy with a compromise. Friends and family thought they were amazing, too, when giving them a try. Even my complete technophobe of a Grandad was blown away by glasses that could let him watch Mr. Bean wherever he was. However, as with all tech demonstrations, one question would always get asked, and in the case of the Nreal Air AR glasses, it would instantly kill the hype. "How much do they cost?" A better look at the Nreal Air Glasses (Image credit: Future) Right tech wrong time At £400 (around $480 / AU$700) these glasses are hardly what you could call cheap. Coupled with the fact you can only use them with select smartphones – all of which are fairly pricey recent releases – and the setup becomes even less obtainable. Start adding in quasi-optional extras like Bluetooth headphones, 5G phone contracts and Netflix or Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, and the costs can get out of control. To make matters worse, beyond their impressive cinema experience, the glasses don't do much else of note. They do offer other features like a virtual multi-monitor setup and immersive Peloton-esque cycling experiences, but those experiences are either too clunky or too lackluster to see them as major selling points. A few years ago, in our pre-pandemic world, I could have seen the Nreal Air glasses taking off as the Meta Quest 2 has in the VR space. These AR glasses are seriously good for commuting. But with more people than ever working from home full-time or at least part-time, and the cost of living on the rise, the Nreal Air AR glasses are an unfortunate casualty. Hopefully, this won't be another complete death in the AR glasses space like the ill-fated Google Glass. Nreal's tech showed me the awesome potential AR glasses have, but it's a case of the right tech at the wrong time, and maybe the wrong price, too. Hamish HectorHamish is a Staff Writer for TechRadar (@Hamish_Hector (opens in new tab) on Twitter) and has been writing about tech for almost five years. He now lends his experience to cover news and reviews across everything on TechRadar (from Computing to Audio to Gaming and the rest). In his free time, you'll likely find Hamish humming show tunes while building Lego or playing D&D with his mates. TechRadar Newsletter Sign up to get breaking news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more, plus the hottest tech deals! Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. MOST POPULARMOST SHARED1The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me2Stop saying Mario doesn't have an accent in The Super Mario Bros. Movie3Google Pixel Tablet is what Apple should've done ages ago4RTX 4090 too expensive? 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