Introduction
The TCL NXTWEAR S are marketed as XR glasses. That stands for Extended Reality and is definitely an umbrella time period that encompasses all VR (Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality) and MR (Mixed Reality) merchandise. Although the NXTWEAR S glasses have an accelerometer, gyroscope and strain sensor on board, we would not name them sensible glasses, since there isn’t any “smart” performance right here. They will not be actually VR both, since there isn’t any movement monitoring and interacting to talk of. AR can be a stretch since there are not any cameras or anything to soak up and monitor the true world.
What you get with the NXTWEAR S is a conveyable show, the equal of about 130 inches in diagonal, floating in entrance of your eyes at a distance of round 4 meters. That is overlayed on prime of a clear glass panel that passes by what’s in entrance of you as nicely.
The NXTWEAR S glasses are created by a Hong Kong firm named RayNeo that TCL incubated and now goes by the title TCL RayNeo. The firm is a pacesetter on this type of tech and in reality the NXTWEAR S will not be its first gadget. They are literally a direct iterative improve over the NXTWEAR Air glasses, which made the rounds at tech conventions and with some reviewers, however weren’t actually overtly offered. An older TCL NXTWEAR G gadget exists as nicely, however we won’t discover any direct correlation between it and the NXTWEAR S.
In any case, our level right here is that the NXTWEAR S glasses will not be a primary era product, nor are they vaporware. After efficiently going by a few crowdfunding rounds, the NXTWEAR S glasses are actually accessible freely by RayNeo immediately and on Amazon, retailing at $399.
Before we dig in, let’s begin with a specs overview.
TCL NXTWEAR S at a look:
- Dimensions: 175mm x 166mm x 51mm (Unfolded), 56mm x 154mm x 51mm (Folded), 89 grams (magnetic cable weighs extra 30 grams).
- Optical parameters: Two Micro-OLED Displays with 1920 x 1080 pixel decision in 2D mode and 3840 x 1080 in 3D mode, 45-degree FoV, 60Hz, 49 PPD (Pixels per diploma), efficient display screen dimension: 130-inches, projected 4 meters away.
- Audio: Dual ultra-linear audio system with section cancellation tech to cut back sound leakage.
- I/O: Magnetic USB Type-C cable for energy and video over USB Type-C alt mode Display Port, quantity wheel on the left and brightness and energy toggle swap on the proper.
- Other options:Accelerometer, gyroscope and strain sensor on board, put on sensor, 3 DOF, magnetic myopia attachable body and extra nostril clip within the field.
Unboxing
Let’s begin with what $399 buys you by way of precise {hardware}. The NXTWEAR S glasses are available in a pleasant two-piece field. Beyond the principle unit itself and its proprietary magnetic cable, you additionally get a magnetic snap-on pair of sunshades to connect on the entrance of the unit. These may also help with the immersion considerably since they let much less gentle by, although you’ll be able to nonetheless see completely advantageous by them. As per TCL advertising and marketing, there are two different sorts of snap-on sunshades that you could purchase individually, although we could not personally discover them wherever.
Another factor included within the field is another nostril clip/nostril pads that is perhaps extra snug for some customers. There can be a screwdriver included to make the swap. The NXTWEAR S glasses additionally include a nifty magnetic snap-on for the rear facet as nicely. This one is supposed to carry prescription myopia lenses for those who occur to want them. TCL contains templates so that you can take to the optician and get them performed.
The NXTWEAR S glasses additionally include a pleasant, exhausting carrying case that has sufficient house for the glasses, cable and even the snap-on sunshades. And final and possibly least, you additionally get a cleansing material and a few documentation. An extremely wealthy accent bundle total, in our opinion.
Hardware, options and controls
The NXTWEAR S glasses are largely made from plastic which undoubtedly contributes to their pretty gentle weight of simply 89 grams. There actually is not that a lot {hardware} on board both, other than the 2 FullHD, Sony-made Micro-OLED show panels, a few audio system and a few largely unused, so far as we will inform small sensors. There is not any battery on board, computational energy, and even wi-fi connectivity {hardware}. All knowledge and energy are handed by the cable.
All of this permits the glasses to be fairly compact as nicely, measuring 56mm x 154mm x 51mm when folded and 175mm x 166mm x 51mm unfolded. The unit tends to suit snugly on the face, with out an excessive amount of wobble or play and is not heavy in any respect. Though, it will probably put an uncomfortable quantity of strain in your nostril.
Anyway, let’s begin our {hardware} tour on the entrance. The defining characteristic right here could be the pretty giant “forehead”, for lack of a greater time period.
It has a pair of recesses on both facet, which appear like digital camera holes or some type of sensors. As far as we will inform, these are merely there to help the magnets in holding the non-obligatory snap-on sunshades and as information holes for the attachment course of. They appear to be doing their job simply advantageous because the cowl shades go on simply and do not come off on their very own beneath regular use.
The front-facing facet of the lenses on the NXTWEAR S may be very shiny and reflective, which we like. Even with out the sunshade attachment, it is like you’re sporting an odd pair of sun shades. Speaking of the sunshade attachment, it undoubtedly conceals a whole lot of the funky “weirdness” and offers the wearer a extra “regular” look. At least so far as that’s achievable with a cable operating behind your ear.
As we talked about the cable is at all times going to be connected to the NXTWEAR S since it’s the sole supply of each energy and video for the glasses. It’s not precisely what we’d name skinny, nevertheless it is not overly thick both. Crucially, it’s fairly gentle and bends simply. We by no means really discovered it to be in the way in which whereas sporting the glasses. The magnetic connector is fairly nice, although its existence does imply that you’re caught with the manufacturing unit cable and might’t get an extended one, we nonetheless respect the magnet system. It may be very safe and by no means popped out by itself throughout our time with the glasses, however on the identical time, fdoesn’t allow you to get so entangled that you simply really yank and break the glasses.
As for cable size issues, we by no means discovered ourselves needing greater than we have now. It is lengthy sufficient to be snug whereas sitting in entrance of a tool or holding it in your lap, and it even reaches properly to most pant pockets for those who actually really feel like strolling with the glasses on, which is admittedly bizarre however could be pulled off.
Let’s discuss in regards to the audio system for a second. The NXTWEAR S has a pair of those on both arm. They are standard versus one thing weirder, like bone conduction items, that are generally included in wearable tech. The audio system even have grilles dealing with downwards in the direction of your ears, which is smart, but in addition upwards, which is puzzling. This is perhaps a part of the included section cancellation tech that’s meant to cut back leakage.
In follow, the audio system sound nicely, however solely about so far as you’ll be able to count on from small items positioned considerably far out of your ears. The output is comparatively clear, with good highs and clear mids and voices, which is arguably the essential bit. There is completely no bass to talk of. They will not be significantly loud, which could have been a essential compromise to make sure minimal noise leakage. In follow, even when cranked to the max, close by events, even ones sitting within the seat proper subsequent to us, did not hear a factor, which is spectacular.
There are two distinct enter controls on the NXTWEAR S. There is a quantity wheel on the left facet, on the underside of the arm. It works very nicely and presents exact quantity changes. The wheel spins freely in both course previous the min and max factors as a substitute of stopping, however that is not a usability challenge in any means.
There is a three-state cog wheel management on the proper spoke of the glasses. It can go up and down to regulate the show brightness (7 ranges in whole) or be pressed down for energy. It works very nicely, and we have now to marvel why the opposite management is not utilizing this design.
The NXTWEAR S glasses have a cool further characteristic: a put on sensor. It is positioned within the middle of the glasses, proper above the nostril pads on the again and appears to be a easy proximity-based unit. It works nice and turns off the glasses a couple of seconds after you are taking them off and turns them again on practically immediately as soon as you place them again on.
Lastly, we have now to reward the precise glasses a part of the NXTWEAR S. Having to put on glasses all the time, personally and having gone by fairly a couple of pairs, this reviewer can respect when the ergonomics are proper. The hinges on the arm are stiff sufficient to remain properly in place but in addition free sufficient, with loads of give within the outward course, to not squeeze the wearer’s head. The ideas on the finish of the arms and the entire arms, for that matter, have no sharp corners that might dig into the pores and skin. The floor of the plastic, whereas not rubberized or something of the kind, remains to be soft-touch sufficient to be snug in your face.
The solely actual ergonomic grievance we have now with the NXTWEAR S is the front-heavy nature of the design. If you might have a extra delicate nostril, you’ll most likely expertise some discomfort with prolonged put on. Swapping to the choice nostril pads did really feel significantly better for this reviewer, personally, however your mileage might range. Then once more, it is not just like the glasses are literally that heavy, and we do not suppose there may be something to be performed to the design to make them weigh much less on the nostril, so it’s what it’s.
Compatibility and non-obligatory adapter
TCL would not share a lot about gadget compatibility for the NXTWEAR S past simply stating that it’s “wide”. All the glasses actually require to work is a USB Type-C port with USB alt-mode assist for Display Port output. The glasses themselves will not be too power-hungry, so most units do not wrestle to maintain them fed.
What does that translate to in real-world phrases? Let’s begin with laptops since that’s form of simple. If your laptop computer helps DP alt mode over USB Type-C, you’re able to go. This ought to be simple sufficient to seek out out from the laptop computer’s specs sheet since these are usually in-depth sufficient. We tried on a Lenovo SupposePad X1 Carbon Gen 9, an ASUS Zephyrus G14 from 2021, and an M1 MacBook Air with excellent success. We know this can be a little bit of an arbitrary checklist, nevertheless it illustrates the principle level – if in case you have DP over Type-C, it can work.
Things are a bit messier on the cellphone facet of issues. Technically, out of the field, with no extra equipment, the NXTWEAR S is an Android-only accent since, nicely, no Type-C port on iPhones. Not all hope is misplaced on the i(Pad)OS entrance, although because the M1 iPad Pro works simply advantageous.
Some Android units assist Display Port over USB Type-C, however there isn’t any simple strategy to know which of them. Some good tough guidelines of thumb embrace that it’s typically a flagship characteristic and that it is best to have higher odds with units from Samsung, Huawei and OnePlus. Once once more, that you must search round to see in case your cellphone has DP over Type-C. In phrases of telephones, we succeeded on a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 4 and an Oppo Find X5 Pro. That’s merely what we had mendacity round.
Circling again to Apple compatibility. Again, there isn’t any iPhone assist out of the field. However, we did discover a gadget known as the “MiraScreen Portable Adapter – SPQ01 for TCL NXTWEAR S” on Amazon. We haven’t got it at hand and might’t attest to how nicely it really works, nevertheless it seems to basically pump a show feed into the glasses by software program put in on the host gadget moderately than PD output. You plug the gadget into your cellphone (iPhone or Android with out DP), set up the companion app and simply plug the glasses into the opposite finish. The MiraScreen even has “inline” controls for brightness and quantity on the glasses themselves and has a 4,500 mAh battery on board to increase the overall runtime. It may even snap magnetically to MagSafe iPhones.
Finally, we tried a few consoles with the NXTWEAR S. The Valve Steam Deck labored simply advantageous, however we had no luck with the Nintendo Switch, which is a bummer.
Performance and energy consumption
Unfortunately, because the shows on the NXTWEAR S will not be conventional in any means, we won’t fairly measure their efficiency traits. We must go by among the official specs right here and our subjective impressions. The digital show finally ends up well-centered in your subject of view. It doesn’t fill it completely, removed from it, and also you at all times get some empty house across the show. The official specs declare a 45-degree subject of view, which sounds about proper.
In phrases of decision, the 2 Micro OLED shows have a local decision of 1920 x 1080 pixels. In follow, that proves to be sufficient even for small textual content. The picture the NXTWEAR S glasses produce may be very sharp, surprisingly so. According to the official specs, the picture ought to be round 130 inches in diagonal, as seen from about 4 meters away. Though, among the “official” banners do additionally point out a 201-inch diagonal and 6 meters away. Regardless, that apparently leads to PPD (Pixel Per Degree) determine of 49. We should be trustworthy right here, we have now no body of reference to know if that’s any good, however as soon as once more, in follow, the picture may be very sharp.
In phrases of brightness, TCL quotes 400 nits. We discovered the show by no means will get vibrant sufficient to be uncomfortable. It additionally would not get vibrant sufficient to utterly drown out your environment and “punch through” the transparency. That being mentioned, when you get accustomed to the truth that you’re at all times going to see the surface world and focus your consideration on the content material, even the minimal brightness setting turns into usable. It’s a bizarre impact that’s exhausting to place into phrases. All that you must know is that the NXTWEAR S ought to stay equally usable in just about any circumstance. Higher brightness ranges may end up in eye fatigue in some folks.
The NXTWEAR S glasses handle surprisingly saturated colours. Perhaps even a bit too saturated. The panels on the glasses aren’t significantly quick by way of refresh fee and function at a normal 60Hz. We’re happy with that determine, particularly because the NXTWEAR S glasses will not be meant for VR content material, the place the refresh fee issues much more. On a extra constructive word, pixel response time is nice. There is little enter latency as a complete. We efficiently managed to sport on the NXTWEAR S and performed a couple of platformers that require relative bounce precision with no points.
Since the NXTWEAR S glasses are completely powered through a Type-C port, one of many few precise checks we managed to run on them was to measure energy consumption. We are joyful to report that the glasses are fairly power-efficient. With a reasonably static picture on display screen, like looking or working, they drew round 1.35W to 1.45W, relying on the brightness setting. While enjoying a video with sound, the glasses used between 1.6W and 1.7W. Not too shabby in any respect. In extra sensible phrases, watching a two-hour film from Netflix on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra with the NXTWEAR S on ate up round 30% of battery energy, which is completely affordable.
We nonetheless want there was a strategy to simply connect an exterior battery pack to the NXTWEAR S. The MiraScreen Portable Adapter does appear to supply that performance, nevertheless it’s an costly further little bit of package that we won’t even validate works correctly for ourselves. So, there’s that.
Actual use circumstances, consolation and do you have to get a pair
Quite a couple of folks across the GSMArena workplace tried the NXTWEAR S and gave their basic suggestions. Most of us agree that it is a cool product, even when a little bit of a gimmick that we’d respect having in our lives however not essentially paying for at present market costs.
All of us unanimously agree that the perfect use case for the glasses is journey and airplane use specifically. A couple of folks additionally mentioned they might like to have a pair subsequent to their mattress to eat content material earlier than falling asleep. So, evidently precise, real-life use circumstances for the NXTWEAR S do exist.
The query of broader compatibility and flexibility did come up. iPhone customers across the workplace had been left a bit upset by the truth that it’s important to get further {hardware} simply to probably use the glasses. A straight HDMI enter was requested on a few events as nicely, and scouring on-line, there does appear to be an adapter for that as nicely, however it’s actually obscure. The level is that individuals appear to seek out the present Display Port input-only implementation a bit limiting. This is one thing that would probably make a future mannequin extra interesting, maybe by together with the choice to stream to the glasses wirelessly whereas having them plugged into an influence financial institution.
Another space TCL ought to work on is the companion app. In its present state, it’s a buggy mess. It simply looks as if TCL did not spend an excessive amount of time sprucing the NXTWEAR S expertise as a complete, which is a bit disappointing.
Another caveat potential use want to concentrate on is consolation. While the NXTWEAR S glasses will not be significantly heavy and have a typically good design, most of us across the workplace complained of nostril discomfort after a comparatively brief viewing session. It could be an actual disgrace to get hyped in regards to the glasses and the prospects they provide, solely to find that you could’t put on them for any prolonged time. Be ready for that eventuality and probably having to return them purely attributable to consolation causes.
If you handle to clear all of those hurdles and do not thoughts the $399 the NXTWEAR S glasses are at present retailing for on Amazon, then we imagine you may be joyful together with your buy. Despite all of the caveats, the NXTWEAR S glasses ship on the promise of a conveyable large show expertise fairly nicely. If you are feeling like that is one thing you need in your life and do not thoughts some early-adopter woes, then by all means, take into account the NXTWEAR S.
…. to be continued
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