Xreal 1S Unboxing and Use Case Review

This is an unboxing and product-awareness post - not a deep tech review.

I’m far from a dedicated tech reviewer, and that’s on purpose. Years ago, I did more fitness tech, but the review world has become insanely detailed. People invest massive time into specs, lab tests, and comparisons. That’s not really my lane.

What I do like to share are products I actually buy for myself, things I’m genuinely interested in using. If something feels useful, fun, or potentially helpful for day-to-day life, I’ll bring awareness to it. Maybe it’s something you’ll find interesting too.

The Wearable Tech Spectrum (And Why Glasses Are Getting Interesting)

Right now, there are a few different “paths” wearable tech can take:

• Smart glasses with cameras and AI (like Ray-Ban Meta): great video, AI features, and convenience—but no display inside the lenses.

• Simple display-style glasses: usually a small display in one eye. Handy for framing, quick info, maybe navigation, but not something you’d want to use to watch a ton of content.

• Full VR headsets (like Meta Quest or Apple Vision Pro): incredible immersion and field of view, but not practical for walking around daily life. You’re not doing your grocery run with a headset on your face.

What’s exciting is where all of this is heading. Eventually, we’ll likely see glasses that combine the best of everything, camera, AI, display, comfort, and practicality, without looking weird in public.

Why I’m Interested in XREAL

If you want a wearable display that still looks like “normal” glasses, X-Real is one of the more interesting options. The model I’m unboxing here is the XREAL 1S, the latest version from a company that originally started as Nreal, then rebranded to XREAL.

I’ve owned earlier versions, including the original XREAL Air (basically the first “Air” generation). At a glance, the new ones don’t look wildly different, but there’s clearly more tech baked in now, as you’d expect after several years of development.

These are essentially display glasses, you plug them into something (phone, computer, console), and you get a massive screen in front of you. Think: your own private theater. Sitting on the couch, it can feel like you’re looking at a 100–200 inch screen.

They aren’t powered on their own. They draw power from whatever device you connect to via USB-C.

The Big Upgrade: Smooth Display and Screen Locking

With my older glasses, the experience was simple: the screen moved exactly with my head. If you turned your head, the whole screen came with you. No smoothing. No anchoring.

To get a more advanced experience, I used the XREAL Beam Pro, which is basically a dedicated device that adds features like:

• smoothing

• screen pinning/locking

• pointer-style interaction

• a more “spatial” interface

It’s essentially an Android-based device with a VR-like interface, not an Apple Vision Pro experience, but definitely more advanced than “just a screen on your face.”

Unboxing the XREAL 1S

The box itself doesn’t have much info on it, pretty minimal. Inside, you get:

• a flat-bottom hard case (nice because it sits stable on a table)

• a USB-C cable

• no power adapter (because, again, these are powered by your connected device)

• Extra nose pads (Small & Large as the Medium ones are on the glasses)

• Manual

When I pulled the glasses out, a few things stood out immediately.

1) Thinner, cleaner screen design

The front section looks noticeably slimmer compared to my older pair. Less bulk, more refined.

2) Auto-tinting lenses

This is a big one. The S1 lenses can electronically tint even automatically

With my older glasses, if I wanted to block out the background for better immersion, I had to attach a physical cover/shade over the lenses. It worked, but it added thickness and felt a bit clunkier. The new auto-tint idea is cleaner and more “future tech.”

3) Audio upgrade

The 1S has Bose speakers built into the arms, which should improve sound quality compared to earlier models.

The “Eye” Accessory and Why It Matters

Along with the 1S, I also have the XREAL Eye, a small camera module that plugs into the glasses through a dedicated port under a cover.

This adds a major capability: 6DoF (six degrees of freedom) tracking.

Here’s the difference in plain language:

• 3DoF = the system knows your head rotation (left/right, up/down, tilt). It can lock the screen in place in a basic way, but it doesn’t truly understand depth.

• 6DoF = the system understands position in space, so the screen can stay anchored even as you move closer, farther, or shift around it.

That matters for real-world use. Example:
If you’re working on text, you can set a comfortable screen size… and then lean in closer to “zoom” naturally. It feels more like a real screen sitting in space rather than a flat image floating with your head.

One note: this type of tracking usually needs decent lighting to work well.

Quick Spec Comparisons (Old vs New)

Just comparing what I’m working with here:

• Field of view: about 46 on the older setup vs about 52 on the new one (as I understand it)

• Resolution: older is 1080p, new is 1200p (as I stated in the video)

• Brightness: about 400 nits vs about 700 nits

• Audio: Bose speakers on the new

• Processing: new has built-in chip features, including 2D-to-3D conversion and screen-locking features without needing the Beam device.

• Ability to add the Eye camera for taking videos and photos, along with 6DoF (six degrees of freedom)

Why Demos Are Hard (And My Plan)

Here’s the problem with reviewing display glasses: you can’t easily show what the wearer sees. There’s no simple “point the camera at it” solution that accurately represents the experience.

The workaround I’m planning is to use the Eye camera and the XREAL Beam Pro's ability to record what I’m seeing, combining:

• what the Eye Camera sees

• what the interface is showing in the glasses

That should make a future video far more understandable, because you’ll be able to see the “real world + the overlays” together.

Final Thoughts (For Now)

This was an unboxing and first look, just getting the hardware out, showing what’s included, and explaining what I’m aiming to use it for.

Next steps for me:

• firmware updates (usually required)

• real-world testing

• practical usage examples (work, media, travel scenarios)

Once I’ve had time to actually use the 1S properly, I’ll come back with a more grounded opinion on whether it’s worth it and where it fits into a realistic “over-40 lifestyle” use case.

For now, I’m going to play with it, set it up, and have some fun with it.

DJI Neo 2 Mule Deer Encounter in Backyard

Recently, I took my DJI Neo 2 drone out for a casual flight around our acreage. With open fields and farmland surrounding us, it’s always a peaceful backdrop. While gliding over the familiar landscape, something special unfolded.

I spotted three mule deer, one mother with her two adolescent offspring. They weren’t tiny fawns but not fully grown adults, let’s call them teenagers. What struck me was their curiosity. As I maneuvered the drone slowly and calmly, they stood their ground—alert but not alarmed. They let me approach relatively closely, observing the drone with a mix of caution and wonder. It was a rare moment of harmony between technology and wildlife.

After a short while, I gave them their peace, flying the drone off and leaving them to their day. It’s always a privilege to interact with nature so closely, even with something seemingly so out of place like the DJI Neo 2.

Watch in 3D

SMP Touchup with Shannon the Ink Barber

I recently visited Shannon - AKA "The Ink Barber" for something I don’t talk about enough: confidence maintenance.

It’s been about 2 years since my last SMP (Scalp Micropigmentation) session, basically a refresh that helps keep everything looking consistent. Years ago (about 9 now), I made a mistake and went with an inexperienced provider and ended up with what’s called pigment “blowout” (too deep in the skin, spreads/migrates). It was frustrating and made me self-conscious.

Shannon helped correct it over multiple sessions, and every time I come in, it gets better because the newer pigment is placed at the correct depth, so it fades evenly and looks natural.

Today’s goal:
✅ Blend out the old migrated pigment
✅ Even out the tone and impressions
✅ Make it look consistent, so nobody would ever know anything was done

We wrapped in about 2–2.5 hours. Skin’s a bit irritated/pink right after (normal), but once it settles, the top and hairline look sharp and clean.

And here’s the angle I want you to take from this (especially if you’re 40+):
Sometimes “fitness” isn’t just gym time. It’s also doing the things that make you feel solid in your own skin, because when you feel confident, you show up differently everywhere.

Also… we talked gym much of our visit. Might have to get Shannon in for an “old man workout session.” 😄

How to Get More Vascular

A lot of people want that “vascular” look, especially the classic bicep vein. It’s not just about having muscle. Visible veins add another layer that people associate with being lean, trained, and in shape.

I get asked all the time: “What’s your trick? What do you eat? How do you stay so vascular?” The truth is there isn’t one magic trick. There are a handful of major factors that influence vascularity, some you can control, and some you can’t.

Let’s break it down...

What “vascularity” really is:

Vascularity is simply how visible your veins are under the skin. Veins show more when:

• there’s less fat between the skin and the vein

• the vein is larger / more developed

• your body is warm, pumped, and pushing more blood to the muscles

1 - Genetics (you can’t change it, but you can work with it)

Some people are naturally “veinier.” They may have larger veins, more surface veins, or veins that sit closer to the skin, even if they aren’t super lean or don’t train consistently.

Genetics also affects where you store fat. Two people can have the same body fat percentage, but one stores more fat in the arms (less vascular) and the other stores more in the midsection (more vascular arms).

You can’t rewrite your genetics, but you can still improve what you’ve got.

2 - Body hair (simple visual hack)

If you’ve got thick arm hair, it can blur definition and make veins less noticeable. Trimming (or removing) body hair can make your arms look more:

• shredded

• striated

• vascular

Not required, but if you want a quick “more definition” upgrade for photos, vacations, or just personal preference, this is an easy one.

3 - Body fat percentage (the #1 driver of vascularity)

This is the big one!

No matter where you store fat, if your overall body fat is high enough, veins will be less visible, because there’s a layer sitting on top of everything.

As you get leaner, vascularity improves. Period.

Age and fat distribution (why this can change after 40 or even younger)

You’ll often see older men with very lean arms and legs but a bigger belly. That’s fat distribution shifting with age. Younger guys often carry more “surface fat” (that smoother look) even when they’re lean, so they may not look as vascular until later on in life, maybe one bennefit of geting older?

So if you’re 40+ and noticing more veins than you used to, that’s normal. But if you want that look on purpose, lowering body fat is still the most reliable lever you can pull.

4 - Muscle mass and training (build the “hardware”)

Training does a few things that help vascularity:

• builds muscle that can “push” veins closer to the surface visually

• increases your body’s blood vessel development over time

• creates a pump during workouts (more blood in the muscle)

More muscle + lower body fat = more vascularity. That’s the long-term formula.

5 - Warmth, blood flow, and blood pressure (the “temporary boost”)

Ever notice you look more vascular during a workout or right after?

That’s because when you’re warm and active:

• more blood is sent to the extremities

• blood pressure rises slightly

• veins become more noticeable

Cold environment = less vascularity. Warm environment + activity = more vascularity.

If you’ve ever noticed you look insanely vascular right after something that heats you up (training, sauna/tanning booth, hot shower), that’s why.

6 - Food and hydration (short-term manipulation)

You can “enhance” vascularity temporarily based on what you eat and how hydrated you are:

• Salt can raise blood pressure a bit and enhance vascularity

• Carbs increase glycogen in the muscle (with water), making muscles look fuller and veins pop more

• Dehydration can make skin look thinner temporarily (not something I recommend as a lifestyle strategy)

This is why fighters and bodybuilders often look ridiculously peeled on weigh-in day or photo day. But it’s not a healthy long-term approach.

For normal people living real life: use nutrition to support performance and leanness, not extreme dehydration tricks.

The real takeaway: There’s no shortcut

If you want more vascularity, focus on what you can control:

1. Lower your body fat (most important)

2. Train consistently (build muscle and blood flow)

3. Use the “temporary boosters” (pump + warmth) if you want to look your best for photos

The leaner you get, the more veins show. But it’s work. No pill. No secret exercise. No magic food.

Simple action plan for more vascularity (40+ friendly)

• Lift 3–4 days/week (progressively, safely)

• Walk daily (easy fat-loss accelerator that’s joint-friendly)

• Eat mostly whole foods and keep protein consistent

• Cut slowly if fat loss is the goal (don’t crash diet)

• For a photo or “pump” day: train arms/upper body, stay warm, and have a normal carb-based meal beforehand

If you want that bicep vein and the “trained” look, the formula is straightforward: get leaner, build muscle, and stay consistent. Nothing flashy, just results.