In 2025, AI glasses have become entertainment companions for many. These glasses resemble ordinary black-framed eyewear in appearance, weighing between 39 and 50 grams—slightly heavier than prescription glasses (20–25 grams). They typically come equipped with cameras, microphones, speakers, large models, and AI assistants. Capable of recording audio and video, taking photos for object recognition, and offering 6 to 8 hours of battery life, their prices range from 500 to 8,000 yuan. The presence or absence of AR functionality serves as a key price differentiator: AI glasses without AR cost between 500 and 2,000 yuan, monocular AR glasses are priced above 2,000 yuan, and binocular AR glasses exceed 3,000 yuan.
This is a market that has regained momentum. In 2021, the popularity of Roblox sparked a wave of interest in AR glasses, with manufacturers like Rokid, Thunderbird Innovation, Yingmu Technology, and Xreal entering the scene. At the end of 2023, Meta Ray-Ban ignited enthusiasm for AI glasses, enabling AR manufacturers to smoothly transition while major internet companies injected capital into the industry, fully igniting sector-wide excitement.
IDC predicts that global smart glasses shipments will reach 14.518 million units in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 42.5%. Growth in the Chinese market is even more rapid, with shipments expected to hit 2.907 million units, surging 121.1% year-on-year. During the 618 shopping festival, sales of AI glasses on JD.com increased sevenfold year-on-year, while during the “Double 11” event, transaction volume for smart glasses on Tmall soared by 2,500% compared to the previous year.
Simultaneously, IDC data suggests that the bulk of smart glasses sales may not come from well-known startups or brand manufacturers but from “less intelligent” products originating from “Huaqiangbei.”
Despite constant consumer complaints, China remains the hottest market for AI glasses—bar none.
IDC data indicates that global smart glasses shipments will reach 12.8 million units in 2025, a 26% year-on-year increase. The Chinese market is expected to surpass 2.75 million units, growing 107% year-on-year and ranking first globally. Analysts’ optimism about this market stems from the large user base of nearsighted individuals and sunglasses wearers: approximately 2.6 billion people worldwide are nearsighted, and around 1 billion pairs of sunglasses are sold annually. Against this backdrop, AI glasses have the potential to become a major category.
According to incomplete statistics, nearly 70 companies have entered the market from last year to this year, with an average of one new product launched every nine days. Among them, Xiaomi’s AI glasses, released in June without AR functionality, focus on lightweight interaction and ecosystem integration. Priced at 1,999 yuan, they sold 40,000 units in their initial release. Rokid Glasses, launched in September, sold 40,000 units within five days. INMO GO3 received over 20,000 pre-orders in its first three days. As for Alibaba’s Quark AI glasses, more than 7,000 pairs were sold within two days after pre-sales began in the early hours of October 24.
In 2015, marked by the Apple Watch Series 4, smartwatches found an irreplaceable niche—health and fitness monitoring. By delving into medical-grade data such as heart rate, electrocardiograms, and blood oxygen levels, smartwatches evolved from being mere phone accessories to “essential health companions.” Subsequently, the market further segmented, giving rise to products tailored for specific scenarios like outdoor activities, long battery life, and professional sports.
Throughout this process, smartwatches did not achieve a disruptive replacement of smartphones. Instead, by deeply addressing a core pain point (health) and forming strong synergy with phones, they established independent value.
Another AI hardware product that successfully transformed into a “body organ” is TWS (True Wireless Stereo) earbuds.
TWS earbuds emerged in 2016 when Apple removed the headphone jack from the iPhone and introduced AirPods, drawing widespread ridicule on social media, with only geek enthusiasts willing to try them. Two years later, as more fashion influencers, celebrities, and tech bloggers began wearing AirPods in public, their symbolic significance started to surpass their functional utility. Simultaneously, the Android quickly followed suit, releasing products across all price ranges, from premium to budget, collectively educating the market.
After 2021, wearing TWS earbuds became a societal norm. They were no longer just tools for listening to music but evolved into all-scenario audio terminals for work (call noise cancellation), daily life (transparency mode for environmental awareness), and entertainment (immersive audio-visual experiences). TWS earbuds completed their transition from “cool tech accessories” to “basic lifestyle essentials.”
In this process, Apple first created a controversial yet comprehensively experiential product definition, which was then driven by social networks to spark a trend of imitation, ultimately blending seamlessly into the fabric of daily life.
In contrast, AI glasses’ ultimate competitor—the smartphone—represents a thoroughly disruptive innovation.
When the iPhone debuted in 2007, it redefined the mobile experience, transforming phones from “communication tools” into “internet terminals.” Around 2010, the open Android system spurred the development of products across all price ranges, from premium to budget devices, along with a million-strong app ecosystem. After market penetration peaked in 2015, competition shifted from hardware specifications to deep integration of software, services, and brand ecosystems, solidifying the dominance of Apple and Android.
This process began with a groundbreaking experiential definition, followed by rapid industry-wide adoption and affordability, and ultimately locked in users through a thriving ecosystem, replacing the old era.
From this, we can see that for successful consumer-grade AI hardware, “defining the experience” precedes “popularizing functionality.” The journey of smartphones shows that defining a product for an era requires rethinking the relationship between humans and the world. The evolution of smartwatches demonstrates that even in a world dominated by giants, finding a sufficiently deep niche can ensure a foothold. The rise of TWS earbuds reveals that a natural experience and elegant integration can seamlessly enter into daily life.
Industry pioneers first use benchmark products to define an excellent and complete user experience circle, while simultaneously sparking a “fashion statement” on social media. The drive for identity far outweighs the appeal of index. Over three to five years, user habits are cultivated, and the product becomes a natural extension of the body.
Of course, AI glasses also face unique challenges: Compared to watches and earbuds, glasses are worn centrally on the face, serving as a core identifier of personal image. Consumers have stricter demands for their fashion attributes and wearing comfort. Additionally, wearers may be perceived as “potential recorders” in social settings, eliciting from others. Perhaps in the future, proactively declaring “I’ve turned off recording function” in private social situations will become a sign of respect, while sharing social recordings without explicit consent will be regarded as dispolite.
At the crossroads of step into the mass market, AI glasses must answer far too many questions.
The only certainty is that price reductions for AI glasses are almost inevitable. As pointed out in a Guotai Junan report, the “below 1,500 yuan” price lowest point has become an unspoken industry goal. If “a price of around 1,000 yuan, 8-hour battery life, and seamless ecosystem integration” can be achieved, AI glasses could replicate the growth curve of TWS earbuds, with annual sales potentially reaching tens of millions.
It is foreseeable that 2026 will be a critical period of market integration. Apple’s potential entry could reshape industry standards, much like the iPhone redefined mobile phones. Meanwhile,more cross-border players like Li Auto will deeply integrate AI glasses with specific vertical ecosystems, fostering diverse product forms.
In specific vertical fields, AI glasses can indeed serve as indispensable tools. For engineers, inspectors, surgeons, and warehouse pickers, AI glasses enable real-time access to blueprints, procedures, and data while keeping their hands free, with interaction possible via voice or gestures.
However, for most ordinary consumers, AI glasses carry a strong toy attribute. “They’ll be dirt cheap next year—waiting won’t hurt,” as everyone says in AI glasses communities.
