On the Eve of the AI Glasses Boom: What Signals Are Tech Giants Sending with Their Bold Bets?

AI Glasses Enter a Fierce New Battleground as Global Tech Giants Make Aggressive Moves

The AI glasses market is rapidly turning into one of the most competitive battlegrounds in the global tech industry. At 2 a.m. Beijing time today, Google held a special Android XR launch event, unveiling new Galaxy XR features while revealing the latest progress, real-world applications, and core technologies behind its AI glasses initiative. During the livestream, Google officially confirmed that its AI glasses—co-developed with Samsung, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster—are scheduled for release next year.

Beyond Google’s high-profile push, the past two weeks alone have seen a wave of major product launches. Alibaba’s self-developed Quark AI Glasses S1 went on full-channel sale on November 27 and immediately topped smart glasses sales rankings across major e-commerce platforms, including Tmall, JD.com, and Douyin. Meanwhile, Li Auto’s cross-industry AI glasses product, Livis, entered pre-sale on December 4 and surpassed 30,000 units in just three hours.

Why are global tech giants racing into this space at the same time? Industry insiders point to a clear signal: AI glasses are emerging as the next core gateway for human–machine interaction. As this new interface takes shape, suppliers across the optical display, structural components, and high-performance chip sectors are becoming essential players in the evolving ecosystem.

From Online Buzz to Offline Reality: Enthusiasm Meets Growing Pains

Despite surging online demand, recent on-the-ground visits by Cailian Press reveal a different picture in physical retail stores. Offline locations remain focused largely on user trials rather than mass purchasing. Consumers frequently voice concerns over weight pressure, limited battery life, unclear displays under strong sunlight, and noticeable voice interaction delays. At the same time, some early AI glasses models are already being discounted.

Analysts believe the AI glasses market is transitioning from “concept hype” to “practical validation.” The industry now faces a shared challenge: breaking through the classic “triangle dilemma” of weight, battery life, and performance while accelerating mass-market adoption. High-frequency everyday use cases, along with high-value medical and industrial verticals, are widely seen as the key to unlocking future growth.

Consumer Willingness Rises: Curiosity or Real Demand?

At Google’s Android XR showcase, live demonstrations illustrated how AI glasses are already being positioned for everyday use. From real-time restaurant recommendations and navigation to location tagging and group photo capture, the glasses support travel and lifestyle use with seamless visual overlays. In complex scenarios such as airports, users can even locate ride pickups through their glasses without reaching for their phones. Google confirmed that these AI glasses will officially enter the market next year.

Alibaba’s Quark AI Glasses S1 have already stirred significant momentum. After topping multiple platform sales charts, more than 8,000 units had been sold through its official Tmall flagship store by 6 a.m. on December 9 at a discounted price of 3,999 yuan. The product currently follows a limited daily release model, with shipments scheduled within 45 days.

Offline enthusiasm is also building. In Hangzhou’s MixC Mall, long lines have formed at experience stores. Representatives from Doctors Glasses (300622.SZ) confirmed rising consumer interest in smart eyewear this year. However, offline purchasing still lags behind online reservations. In Shanghai, several stores reported that most visitors come primarily for hands-on experience rather than immediate orders.

One Baodao Glasses store in Shanghai revealed that although many consumers have tested the Quark S1 in-store, only two actual offline orders were placed in recent days. Many buyers prefer to wait for broader user reviews before committing. For standard non-prescription versions, delivery takes seven to ten business days, while customized prescription versions require around 20 days.

Meanwhile, earlier-generation products like Xiaomi’s AI glasses are already seeing price reductions. At a Xiaomi Home store, staff confirmed that the AI glasses are now priced at just 2,599 yuan after discounts.

Pricing Strategy Shapes the Market Landscape

Market feedback shows that entry-level models priced around 1,500 yuan are selling strongly, while premium models above 3,000 yuan face growing skepticism over whether their functionality truly justifies the price. The surge of demand at the 1,500–2,000 yuan range clearly signals that consumer-level adoption is being activated.

According to Hong Qianjin, an analyst at Zhongyan Puhua Industry Research Institute, lower-priced models aim to reduce the experience barrier and cultivate mass-market habits, while high-end models target premium users willing to pay for ecosystem integration and closed-loop scenarios.

Data shows that core AI glasses buyers are mainly men aged 20–35, accounting for over 85% of purchases. They are typically tech enthusiasts, business professionals, and commuters. Key application scenarios include outdoor travel, navigation during commutes, real-time translation, meeting notes, and first-person recording—forming a high-frequency demand loop.

However, this still falls short of the industry’s vision of an “all-day AI assistant.” According to researchers, while current products effectively hit pain points in commuting and office use, experience drawbacks remain significant. On Douyin, return rates for some models reportedly reach 40%–50%.

IDC data shows that global smart glasses shipments reached 4.065 million units in the first half of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 64.2%. Global shipments are expected to exceed 40 million units by 2029, underscoring strong long-term growth potential.

Industry Consensus: High-Value Vertical Applications Hold the Key

Different giants are pursuing distinct strategies. Alibaba and Google are racing to seize new data traffic and AI interaction portals, while Li Auto is extending its in-car ecosystem to personal wearable devices.

Google confirmed it is developing two models: one featuring speakers, cameras, and microphones for music, calls, photos, and real-time translation; the other equipped with a small display for private information viewing.

Experts note two clear trends in newly released AI glasses: widespread adoption of camera-based solutions with basic audio function as standard, while display remains optional. At the same time, designs are becoming lighter and increasingly centered on AI-driven user scenarios.

Yet the fundamental technical bottleneck remains unresolved. The balancing act between weight, battery life, performance, and cost continues to limit product optimization. Challenges persist in optical visibility under strong light, power consumption of AI chips, voice interaction delays, and prescription adaptation.

Experts emphasize that solving these challenges requires deep coordination across the entire supply chain, including breakthroughs in battery materials, low-power chips, and lightweight structural design.

Looking ahead, industry observers widely agree that high-frequency everyday use cases, along with medical and industrial applications—such as surgical navigation and remote maintenance—will be decisive in shaping the next phase of growth.

Supply Chain Companies Step into the Spotlight

As tech giants accelerate their plan, suppliers across optical displays, structural components, and high-performance chips are rapidly scaling up alongside them.

The optical display system consists of two key parts: micro-display technology (including LCOS, DLP, Micro OLED, and Micro LED) and optical solutions such as freeform optics, prisms, and waveguides. Among these, waveguide lenses—particularly when paired with Micro LED—offer thinner designs, wider fields of view, and higher image quality.

On the chip front, AI glasses rely heavily on SoC platforms that integrate CPU, GPU, and NPU units for AI computation, imaging, and system control. The Quark S1, for example, adopts a dual-chip solution combining Qualcomm’s AR1 flagship chip with BES2800 from Bestechnic.

A wide range of Chinese suppliers are now embedded across the AI glasses supply chain, including Bestechnic (688608.SH), Crystal-Optech (002273.SZ), Suzhou Vivid New Materials (300331.SZ), Goertek (002241.SZ), Luxshare Precision (002475.SZ), Lens Technology (300433.SZ), and Desay Battery (000049.SZ). All are seen as long-term beneficiaries of the industry’s rapid expansion.

Bestechnic has confirmed that its chips are already in mass production and used in multiple AI glasses models from Xiaomi, Alibaba, and Li Auto. Lens Technology is transferring its advanced precision manufacturing capabilities directly into the AI hardware space and is working to resolve capacity bottlenecks for waveguide lenses. With expanded production expected next year, shipments may reach one million units.

According to industry analysts, China’s AI glasses supply chain is achieving critical breakthroughs with over 90% domestic localization of core components. Technologies once considered “bottlenecks,” such as waveguides and Micro LED, are now entering mass production. Meanwhile, the ecosystem is shifting from single-point innovation to full-chain collaboration, creating a fully self-controlled industrial loop.