China's smart glasses are once again going all the way off

Alibaba may soon launch advanced smart glasses, rivaling Meta's Ray-Bans with on-lens displays.

: China is producing increasingly sophisticated smart glasses, with Alibaba rumored to soon launch a technologically advanced pair. These glasses might surpass Meta's Ray-Bans by incorporating on-lens displays and optical waveguide lenses, enhancing AR experiences. Evidence from the World Artificial Intelligence Conference suggests that Alibaba's Tmall Genie brand might unveil these innovations. As Alibaba already collaborates with Xiaomi on smart glasses, it is well-positioned to impact the U.S. market significantly.

China’s smart glasses industry is surging with creativity and hardware innovation. Recently, Xiaomi unveiled its AI Glasses powered by Snapdragon AR1, featuring a 12 MP camera, electrochromic lenses, Wi‑Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and about 8.6 hours of battery life—allowing up to 45 minutes of video recording, far exceeding Meta’s Ray‑Ban limit of just three minutes.

Simultaneously, rumors from the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai point to Alibaba preparing its first smart glasses under the Quark AI Glasses brand. These are expected to feature optical waveguide displays, better passthrough AR, facial and environmental recognition, and integration with its own AI assistant and payment/navigation services.

China’s rapidly growing smart glasses scene also includes players like Wigain, Rokid, and Xreal, who are developing lightweight, mass-manufacturable AR glasses with waveguide lenses and AI integration. According to WebProNews, these designs aim at both consumer and enterprise markets, delivering real-time overlays, translated text, object recognition, and industrial guidance tools—even as privacy implications mount.

This rapid expansion is boosting China’s market share. In 2025, 2.75 million units are projected to ship from China (up 107% year‑on‑year), amid global shipments hitting 12.8 million units. The industry is split between lightweight everyday wearables and professional-grade headsets, each appealing to different user needs and design priorities.

Yet concerns about privacy, surveillance, and regulatory governance are rising sharply. Smart glasses with cameras and voice assistants invite fears of covert recording, eavesdropping, and unauthorized facial recognition. Industry observers urge technical safeguards like visible recording indicators, user awareness, encryption, and standards—while acknowledging that internal exposure and corporate surveillance risks must be addressed.

Sources: Gizmodo, SCMP, Reuters, Financial Press

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