Thank you, TCL, for sending me the Ray Neo Air 2 and restoring my faith in the potential of AR glasses, tethered to a smartphone, to deliver a big screen experience in a light, portable form that just works when you plug its C-connection into any compatible device. The screen is big and bright and looks crisp even in sunlight. It is the best looking of its peers, too, which means it is slightly less bulky.
New TCL RayNeo Air 2 video smart glasses for a big scrteen experience on-the-go.
Screen extenders were all the rage at CES 2023 last January. It seems AR is going to enter the lives of most consumers as a pricey smart phone accessory optimized to deliver a big screen experience. That is all these do. It is all they will ever do, so looking and sounding great is their one and only job. We should not be surprised that China’s TCL, which has been making low-cost TVs for decades, has gotten this part right.
Use case illustration for the TCL RayNeo Air 2 AR smart glasses.
The RayNeo Air 2 weighs just 76 grams while housing a pair of 16:9, 120Hz Sony Micro-OLED 1080p displays that are equivalent to a 201-inch screen viewed from six feet away. The glasses have a respectable 46° FOV, the 49 pixels-per-degree (PPD) and a 108% sRGB color gamut. It also features a fully upgraded dynamic stereo sound system, complete with a whisper mode for privacy. The sound is good, but honestly, it’s good, but not great. Audio smart glasses spend their money there. TCL spent their money on displays. I say good call here.
Loupe view of the special hinge that makes the TCL RayNeo Air 2 such a joy to wear.
My biggest beef with every pair of AR smart glasses is that I can’t get them to sit correctly on my face. They all have adjustable nose pads, but those alone don’t do it. The RayNew Air 2 is the only one that fits me, because it has a special hinge where the wing meets the frame that allows the user to adjust the angle. It seems like a detail, but together with a bright, crisp screen, it makes all the difference.
Now the not so good part. The RayNeo Air 2 supports DisplayPort or USB-C Alt mode. For older iPhones with the Lightning port and other devices that don’t support USB-C Alt mode, you will need a $99 MiraScreen Adapter. Be sure to check for compatability or you could make a shopping mistake.
If you or someone on your list has an iPhone 15, the TCL RayNeo Air 2 is going to make their day.