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ZDNET's key takeaways
- RayNeo unveiled the Air 4 Pro with an upgraded display and audio.
- They are the world's first HDR10-enabled smart glasses.
- RayNeo also launched the X3 Pro Project eSIM at CES 2026.
CES this year was all about personal computing that was happening on your face. Whether it was smart glasses, XR headsets, or other weird gadgets that companies want to normalize us into wearing, the point was clear: how we consume content goes beyond phones and TVs now.
Also: CES 2026: These 7 smart glasses caught our eye - and you can buy this pair now
One pair of glasses that left the biggest impression on me was RayNeo's Air 4 Pro, which the company touts as the world's first HDR10-enabled smart glasses, with dual-layer OLED screens and Bang & Olufsen-tuned side speakers. Together, you're looking at a convincing frontrunner for on-the-go multimedia consumption.
At the base level, the RayNeo Air 4 Pro is a pair of extended reality glasses, meaning they can be connected to a phone, PC, or even a gaming console to mirror (or fully replace) the display. Like competing offerings from Xreal, Viture, and Rokid, the RayNeo glasses are well-optimized for multimedia viewing, thanks to a tinted visor that enhances the color and brightness of their projections.
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It certainly helps that the RayNeo Air 4 Pro support swappable prescription lenses (including -8.00) and weigh the same as their predecessor, the RayNeo Air 3s Pro, at 76 grams. That's about par for the course for XR glasses, but at least they're not getting any heavier. I wore them briefly during a demo and found the sizing and weight distribution to be just right. The true test is when you're watching hours-long movies.
That's also because the RayNeo Air 4 Pro distances itself from competing wearables with its HDR10-enabled projection and Bang and Olufsen-tuned speaker system. The former allows users to visualize a wider range of brightness and color than traditional displays, such as details that are often lost in overlit environments or dimmer scenes.
"While many wearable displays promise a large screen, they often fall short on contrast, color consistency, and stability," Li Hongwei, CEO of RayNeo Innovation, tells ZDNET. Supporting this universal standard of picture quality brings the RayNeo Air 4 Pro closer to traditional TVs, projectors, and other devices.
Also: These smart glasses beat the Meta Ray-Bans for me with useful features and a cheaper price
As intrigued as I am by the glasses' display quality, I'm just as invested in their new speakers. Co-branded "tuning" is a marketing stunt as old as time; we've seen such partnerships appear on smartphones, laptop speakers, cars, and more -- and the resulting audio performance is often hit-or-miss.
However, after recently testing the Xreal One Pro, which features Bose-tuned field speakers, I'm a believer in smart glasses. The enhanced bass and directional output should result in a more immersive listening experience overall.
RayNeo hasn't shared information regarding the Air 4 Pro's pricing and availability, but considering the existing Air 4 model costs about $400 in China and the Air 3s Pro costs $300 in the US, I'd expect the latest model to be just slightly more expensive.
One last thing
RayNeo says it'll also launch the X3 Pro Project eSIM soon, which takes the recently launched pair of AR glasses and implements built-in 4G connectivity -- though it's more to gauge market interest.
"Currently a concept device, the RayNeo X3 Pro Project eSIM showcases what we believe is the key difference for next-generation AR -- these are glasses that can connect to the internet and make calls on their own, without a smartphone," says Li.
Also: I've tested several pairs of smart glasses at CES 2026 - this one nails both price and performance
ZDNET tested the RayNeo X3 Pro late last year and found the smart glasses to be fairly capable, thanks to their built-in display and direct access to Gemini for voice assistance. However, the overall endurance and comfort made them less ideal for everyday usage. Here's to hoping that giving the glasses eSIM support makes those drawbacks a little more forgivable.
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