Smart glasses sector set for rapid growth

Artificial intelligence-powered glasses will experience rapid growth next year as the fast-evolving smart wearable devices become a key gateway for next-generation human-machine interaction and inject new vitality into the global consumer electronics market, experts said.

Driven by the technological iteration and broad application of large language models, these intelligent and lightweight gadgets boast advanced features such as semantic understanding, voice interaction, image recognition and search functions, allowing users to access information more conveniently and interact with their surroundings in real time, they added.

Data from market research company International Data Corp show that global smart glasses shipments will reach 12.8 million units in 2025, up 26 percent year-on-year. Shipments from the Chinese market alone are projected to exceed 2.75 million units, surging 107 percent year-on-year and ranking first worldwide.

In the first half, shipments from Chinese smart glasses manufacturers surpassed 1 million units, accounting for 26.6 percent of the global total. The compound annual growth rate of China's smart glasses shipments is estimated to reach 55.6 percent between 2024 and 2029, taking the top spot globally, according to IDC.

Leading Chinese tech companies are racing to make smart glasses the next mass-market device after smartphones. Alibaba Group recently launched its new series of Quark AI glasses, which are equipped with the company's AI model Qwen and its newly launched AI application Qwen App, to compete with United States-based tech company Meta's smart glasses.

This launch marks another significant step in Alibaba's efforts to turn its advanced AI technologies into real-life applications in the consumer AI market, positioning Qwen as the intelligent core of its expanding consumer ecosystem.

Powered by Qwen, the Quark AI glasses provide intelligent, hands-free assistance for everyday life by combining voice and vision recognition to enable real-time AI interactions. They boast an array of functions, such as instant price recognition, AI-powered Q&A, translation, navigation, AI-generated meeting notes, smart reminders and a live teleprompter.

Users can utilize the gadget to take photos, record videos and listen to music. The glasses have also been deeply integrated with Alibaba's ecosystem, including Alipay, Amap, Taobao, Fliggy, as well as leading music streaming platforms like QQ Music and NetEase Cloud Music.

Wu Jia, vice-president of Alibaba Group, said the Quark AI glasses enable Qwen to connect more deeply with the physical world and that Qwen will be integrated into more intelligent terminal devices.

"AI glasses are a uniquely powerful wearable as they consist of everything we envision for an AI assistant," Wu said. "Looking ahead, AI glasses open the door to a revolutionary way of connecting and interacting with computers in the AI era."

Launched in 2016 as a Web browser incubated within Alibaba Group, Quark has become a leading AI-powered information services platform, with over 200 million users in China.

A visitor tries on a pair of AI glasses at the 4th Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Sept 25. Photo/CHINA DAILY

Baidu has rolled out its AI glasses Xiaodu Pro, which weigh just 39 grams and integrate a multimodal large model, supporting an array of AI functions, including translation, object recognition, photography, recording and conference memos. Xiaomi launched its AI glasses in June. Other players include Meizu and RayNeo.

Chinese carmaker Li Auto has become the latest tech titan to join the AI smart glasses race with the rollout of its first wearable product called the Livis, which has a 36-gram lightweight frame.

Its voice interaction function is powered by the company's self-developed multimodal model. Users can use the glasses to control in-car functions such as air conditioners, lights and the horn, as well as the charging port, trunk and windows.

Zhu Keli, founding director of the China Institute of New Economy, said that Chinese internet companies boast strong technological capacities in AI algorithms, natural language processing and computer visual recognition.

"AI-enabled glasses, as the next-generation intelligent terminal, are well-positioned to meet users' growing demands for interaction and real-time information acquisition," he said.

Emphasizing that smart wearables are emerging as a fresh growth driver in the consumer electronics sector, Zhu expressed optimism about the future of AI glasses.

He predicts that they will function as personal digital assistants and become deeply integrated with smart homes, vehicle-mounted systems and healthcare services.

Zhu also urged greater efforts to advance innovation in core technologies, including computing power and optical displays, to improve device performance, expand the content ecosystem and establish relevant industry standards.

The AI-powered glasses market is on track to experience strong growth, with shipments expected to increase by 158 percent year-on-year, reaching 5.1 million units globally this year, according to market research company Omdia.

By 2026, global shipments of AI glasses are expected to exceed 10 million units, driven by increased participation from leading consumer technology vendors. The figure is projected to reach 35 million units by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 47 percent from 2025 to 2030.

China is set to become the second-largest market for AI glasses after the United States, the consultancy said.

It noted that China stands out for its distinct ecosystem, which features strong participation from major internet companies, smart device vendors and emerging players. The unique market environment and the rapid commercialization of AI technology will create a strong foundation for the growth of AI glasses in China.

Rokid, a Hangzhou, Zhejiang province-based smart glasses manufacturer, has unveiled lightweight AI-powered eyewear in partnership with domestic eyewear brand Bolon.

The new device integrates leading Chinese AI models, including Alibaba's Qwen, DeepSeek and ByteDance's Doubao, to offer a voice-activated digital assistant capable of recording videos, taking photos, playing music and providing navigation.

Zhu Mingming, founder and CEO of Rokid, predicts that within the next three to five years, AI-enabled glasses will undergo dramatic changes, with more interactions shifting to smart glasses, while smartphones serve as terminal devices for communication, computing and storage.

The company aims to sell more than 1 million units of AI glasses next year, with shipments expected to reach 2 to 3 million units by 2027, and surpass 10 million units by 2028, he said, adding, "AI glasses are approaching their iPhone moment."

In addition, the company plans to invest heavily in developing its own ecosystem, with third-party developers already designing accessories for its glasses.

AI glasses witnessed explosive growth in sales during this year's Singles Day shopping carnival.

Data from e-commerce platform Tmall show that the turnover of smart glasses surged 2,500 percent year-on-year, while JD said the transaction volume of smart glasses surged 346 percent from a year earlier, making it the fastest-growing category among all digital products.

Ye Qingqing, an analyst at IDC China, said the integration of AI models with lightweight hardware devices will give rise to a new human-machine interaction platform, adding that the AI glasses market is poised for robust growth in 2026.

"Continuous breakthroughs in multimodal AI perception and semantic understanding technologies, coupled with customized AI services based on massive data from user behaviors, will accelerate the development of the smart glasses industry and the integration of such devices into people's daily lives," she said.

Ye estimates that Chinese smart glasses shipments will exceed 4.9 million units next year, driven by technological advancements, improved user experience and a decline in prices.

"Integrating intelligence into everyday glasses has the potential to transform the way we experience daily life," said Jason Low, research director at Omdia.

"Unlike wrist-worn wearable band devices, AI glasses encounter challenges such as privacy concerns from built-in cameras and microphones, as well as social resistance to all-day wear. These factors may hinder widespread adoption beyond early enthusiasts in the short term."

AI glasses vendors are increasingly seeking to keep users locked into their own ecosystems and AI platforms. "A truly platform and device-agnostic AI could transform AI glasses into an essential everyday tool. But to achieve this, AI must accompany users everywhere, a major business and technical challenge for vendors," Low added.