The TCL NXTWEAR S glasses are essentially a wearable display. Plug the glasses into a tablet, computer, or phone and then you can see your device on a 10-foot equivalent screen. The glasses provide a huge viewing experience, but can also offer privacy in places you might not normally get it.
TCL NXTWEAR S
The TCL NXTWEAR S are smart glasses that allow you to watch movies, TV shows, and games on a virtual display by simply plugging them into your phone, laptop, or portable console.
- Weight
- 3.14oz (89g)
- Dimensions
- 2.2 x 6.06 x 2in folded (56 x 154 x 51mm)
- Refresh rate
- 60Hz
- Resolution
- 1920 x 1080 (2D)
- Field of view
- 45 degrees
- Connectivity
- USB-C with Display Port
- Sensors
- Accelerometer, gyroscope, and pressure sensor
- Included accessory
- Magnetic myopia glasses frame
Pros
- 1080p resolution provided a good viewing experience
- Compact size when used without the adapter box
- No battery to charge / unintrusive cable
Cons
- Limited device compatibility
- Comfort is very hit or miss
- High price for general use
Understanding NXTWEAR S Smart Glasses
With so many virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality devices on the market, it can be confusing to decipher what the NXTWEAR S glasses really offer. First and foremost, you can think of the glasses as a TV screen you can fold up and keep in a (large) pocket. The screen seen in the glasses can mirror whatever is shown on the device it’s connected to with its cable.
NXTWEAR S glasses have dual 1080p Sony FHD Micro OLED panels along with stereo speakers. The product pushes the envelope for consumer electronics in a lot of ways because, from the outside, it seems impossible to imagine the person wearing the glasses can see what they can actually see.
And yet, the impressive specs don’t really equate to a must-use experience. The sum of the parts doesn’t add up to something you need your friends to try. For technology enthusiasts, even, the product is limited by device compatibility.
Beyond projecting the display of the device the glasses are plugged into, there are mixed reality features the NXTWEAR S glasses are capable of. Unfortunately, the software side of the NXTWEAR S could be complicated to navigate. I spent too much time trying to get the mobile TCL AR app to work on a TCL phone, a newer Pixel phone, or a newer OnePlus phone.
Ultimately, I was able to get the app to work on a fourth phone I had, and it turned the phone into a pointing controller for the screen inside the glasses. You can watch some 3D videos and see some panorama content. The most interesting aspect was still the video apps like YouTube or Amazon Prime Video—a more fancy version of video projection.
To get the glasses to work with a Nintendo Switch, you’ll need a separate HDMI adapter that plugs into the TV dock rather than the portable unit itself. I didn’t get a chance to try it with a Switch.
NXTWEAR S As a Portable Computer Display
Despite the hiccups with the AR app and Nintendo Switch, the NXTWEAR S did work instantly as a second display with my MacBook Air M2.
I could mirror the main laptop screen and the glasses or I could make it a separate one. That meant I had a huge computer display directly in the glasses and a second display on the laptop. It was the same effect as connecting a second monitor directly to the computer.
I could move my Google Docs window and a Padres baseball game I was watching to the glasses display, leaving my laptop’s built-in screen barren. To anyone passing by, it looked like I was typing on the laptop, but nothing was happening on the display they could see.
When using the glasses plugged into my MacBook Air, I could easily see the keyboard as well as the laptop display. I could have added additional apps to the laptop’s screen to have even more multitasking going on.
More importantly, though, I could have sat in a coffee shop, on an airplane, or in a busy office and worked on a private document without the feeling of anyone snooping over my shoulder. It might be a small market for this need, but it could be very helpful in certain situations.
Plugging the NXTWEAR S glasses into my MacBook Air was the most seamless experience. The single USB-C cable provided power and data and gave me a true multiple-monitor experience. Plugging the glasses into my iPad worked fine too, but the Apple tablet was harder to use with touch.
Wearing the NXTWEAR S Smart Glasses
Since these glasses are a wearable product, their fit and comfort is a major consideration. I found NXTWEAR S to only be comfortable to wear for moderate periods of time. I had no problem with any discomfort whenever I wore them for 30 minutes or less. Wearing them for closer to an hour caused a little bit of discomfort around my ears and on the bridge of my nose. And wearing them longer than an hour was doable, but not great—again, mostly the pressure around my ears.
The field of view was fine for me, but I did notice slight blurring around the top corners of the screen. Depending on how the glasses were positioned on the bridge of my nose, a small portion of the bottom of the screen could be hard to see as well.
Still, despite any minor visibility issues, I thought the projection images inside the glasses looked good enough to watch for as long as my head could accommodate them.
Having a cord connect the glasses wasn’t great, but it didn’t get in my way. It was also nice that they never needed to be charged. The cable is attached via a magnetic connector so it would snap off rather than yank your head.
Apple Vision Pro, NXTWEAR S, and AR Glasses
The NXTWEAR S glasses aren’t the first type of this product from TCL. This model is much more comfortable and slimmed down than the previous NXTWEAR G. The company is on the right track with this category’s development, but is it what consumers want?
There are other similar glasses on the market from Nreal and Rokid, which are direct competitors. I can’t speak to those devices, but I do think there could be a market for these personal AR screens.
It’s hard to ignore Apple’s recently debuted Vision Pro headset, which will do video projection and run AR and VR apps. But that device is in a completely different class based on cost and technology. If Apple’s device sparks awareness, TCL, Nreal, and Rokid could benefit from having a relatively lower cost, lower functionality product ready to go.
Should You Buy TCL NXTWEAR S?
The TCL NXTWEAR S glasses are a neat gadget, and they do video projection well, but most people shouldn’t buy them. The value for general consumers just isn’t there with the current cost of the technology inside these glasses. If they were closer to $150, this would be a different conversation. At $399, however, NXTWEAR S glasses are largely a novelty with many specific hardware and software requirements.
That said, there are still a few very specific uses, like with a computer as a second monitor, that make sense for people to consider buying these. In most instances, however, the experience just wasn’t quite seamless enough to spend the money.
TCL NXTWEAR S
The TCL NXTWEAR S are smart glasses that allow you to watch movies, TV shows, and games on a virtual display by simply plugging them into your phone, laptop, or portable console.