AsianFin--Augmented Reality (AR) consumer brand XREAL Beam Pro has officially received full Android certification on Tuesday. This is also the world's first AR computing box to receive Google Play (non-Google TV) certification, according to XREAL founder Xu Chi.

Beam Pro is positioned as an AR spatial computing terminal, equipped with a screen and dual rear cameras, primarily designed for spatial imaging. It is compatible with most mobile Android applications, and apart from not being able to make calls, it is generally similar to existing smartphones in appearance and functionality.

"Beam Pro is actually a continuation of the product Beam, and the spatial imaging was added later. Its purpose is to free up the phone, allowing the ecosystem to be within Beam," Xu explained to TMTPost why they launched Beam Pro.

Data from market research firm Counterpoint indicates that while the Chinese VR market is sluggish, the Chinese AR smart glasses market is booming in 2023, with a year-on-year increase of 64%.

Xu believes that as the industry's growth gains momentum, more and more manufacturers will enter this field. “One day, we might find that, just like the new energy vehicle market, even smartphone manufacturers will be vying to get a piece of action,” he said.

Compared to the domestic market, the overseas market is more mature. Many AR brands are stepping up their layout overseas. XREAL insiders told TMTPost that the overseas market contributes two-thirds of XREAL's revenue. Obtaining comprehensive Android certification this time is also to better tap into the overseas market and enrich the content ecosystem of Beam Pro.

Although China’s AR market is experiencing rapid growth, the overseas market is relatively fully-fledged, with higher user acceptance and awareness, presenting a bigger market. Apart from XREAL, several AR glasses brands are also vigorously expanding into overseas markets this year to seek higher growth.

In May, Thunderbird Innovation partnered with Google to launch a new content terminal, Pocket TV, for the overseas market.

Speaking about the development of the overseas market, Xu notes that it is imperative for Chinese enterprises to venture abroad. The Chinese market is large but highly competitive and overcrowded. “I think for almost all consumer electronics manufacturers, going abroad is almost their only way to turn profitable,” he said.

He also pointed out that many consumer electronics companies face strategic and product judgment errors because they only operate in the Chinese market. "The Chinese market is completely different from the overseas market, so I have to go abroad is to understand the real situation of the market to make better judgments," he added.