Mobile Operator EE UK to Ship Nreal Augmented Reality Glasses

Mobile operator EE is keen to try and play-up the advantages of their latest 5G based ultrafast mobile broadband network and, in keeping with that, they’ve today announced an agreement with Augmented Reality (AR) innovator Nreal to exclusively launch their new ‘Nreal Air’ glasses in the UK “later this spring“.

At present EE aren’t saying anything about how much they’ll charge for the glasses or what kind of bundles will be available at launch, but if creating a 201-inch floating cinema style screen and virtual work display in mid-air, playing AR games around your home or “Air Casting” your Smartphone screen to the same display is your thing then this may be for you.

Until now, it’s been rather tricky to purchase the China-based Nreal glasses in the UK, which normally retail for around $599 (an expensive gadget). The occasional one does pop-up on importer sites and eBay (often for c.£350 – £450), but EE seems set to mark the first proper distribution of the technology this side of the world. Hopefully, they won’t charge too much for it.

Showing what this kind of technology looks like can be difficult, but this YouTube video gives a pretty good idea (see below). However, this kind of technology is probably better in a home environment with a good WiFi connection, but the ability to harness fast mobile data when out and about is certainly an option – provided you don’t mind grabbing a bit of attention from passers-by, who might think you’ve gone nuts.

Alistair Wilson, Director of Devices and Partnerships, EE said: “We’re working with the best content providers and the most innovative technology companies in the world to create entirely new experiences for our customers. Nreal are at the forefront of AR, and we’re delighted to be the exclusive UK partner for the launch of their new Nreal Air AR glasses. When combined with the power of 5G, it really does open up new possibilities for seamless streaming and access to new types of content on the move.”

Key Nreal Air specs: