AI glasses: Are they the next "revolutionary" product or just a "flash in the pan"?
Text / Shijie
Source / Jiedian Finance
If you still think smart glasses are just geek toys, you may have missed an "inflection point of the era".
In 2025, giants and upstarts such as Xiaomi, Meta, and Rokid took turns entering the market. AI glasses have moved from the niche corner to the spotlight of consumer electronics.
Recently, Xiaomi launched its first AI glasses at its "Smart Mobility, Home, and EV" press conference, with a starting price of 1,999 yuan, sparking heated discussions in the market. According to official data from JD.com, the sales volume of Xiaomi AI glasses exceeded 10,000 units within 12 hours of its launch, topping the sales list of the smart glasses category.
Image source: Xiaomi's official Weibo account
The offline channels were also booming. When Jiedian Finance visited the "Xiaomi Home" store in Shanghai, it was found that only a small number of standard versions were available for sale, and the monochromatic electrochromic version and the color electrochromic version priced at 2,699 yuan and 2,999 yuan respectively were out of stock. A salesperson told Jiedian Finance, "Nine out of ten consumers who enter the store will come to see the smart glasses. There are only a few standard versions in stock at present, and there is no notice about the subsequent replenishment time yet."
Lei Jun, the founder of Xiaomi, positioned it as "a personal smart device for the next generation and a portable AI entrance." In the industry's view, Xiaomi's strong entry into the market has ignited the originally niche smart glasses market and announced the arrival of the "Year of AI Glasses".
With the development of generative AI and wearable technology, more than 20 manufacturers, including Xiaomi, Meta, Rokid, Huawei, and Baidu, have successively launched new AI glasses products in the past six months. In May this year, more than ten new products were launched in a single month in the global market, and the industry has officially entered the stage of the "Battle of a Hundred Glasses".
• Who are the main players in the AI glasses track?
• How do investors, practitioners, and consumers view the rapid rise of AI glasses?
• Is the supply chain and software and hardware technology behind AI glasses ready?
01 The Fierce Competition in the AI Glasses Market
What are AI glasses? In a broad sense, they are intelligent terminals that integrate artificial intelligence technology with the wearable form of glasses - they look similar to ordinary glasses, but are equipped with electronic components such as cameras, microphones, and processors, and have functions such as voice assistants, human-computer interaction, image recognition, and data processing.
Currently, the AI glasses on the market can be roughly divided into three categories: AI audio glasses, which pursue lightweight and wireless headphone experience; AI shooting glasses, which feature first-person photo and video shooting combined with AI recognition capabilities; and AI display glasses (AR glasses), which cover functions such as recording, audio, and provide augmented reality visual feedback.
Jiedian Finance analyzed that these three types of products have different focuses. Audio glasses are superior in their lightweight form that is closest to daily glasses. Shooting glasses give users the novel experience of "recording the world with their eyes". AR glasses represent a more complete future form, but they are often bulkier and more expensive at present.
Currently, both global technology giants and startups are actively involved in the AI glasses track, and the product forms are quite rich.
Image source: Meta Store official website
In the overseas market, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is one of the most active explorers. As early as 2021, it launched "Ray-Ban Stories" in cooperation with Ray-Ban, integrating camera and music playback functions. In 2023, it launched the second-generation "Ray-Ban Meta", adding AI interaction capabilities such as the voice assistant "Hey Meta". According to the official disclosed data, the sales volume of this series of glasses reached 2 million units in 2024, and it plans to launch the third generation in 2025, with a target sales volume of 5 million units.
In addition, according to Guo Mingji, an analyst at Tianfeng Securities, Apple is regarding head-mounted devices as the next major development direction of consumer electronics. Currently, at least 7 related projects are in the development stage, covering 3 Vision series products and 4 smart glasses products, and are expected to be launched successively in 2027, with an estimated shipment volume of 3-5 million units. The industry believes that if Apple can launch lightweight AR glasses products in the future, it will greatly promote the industry, and its powerful ecosystem and brand appeal may bring a revolutionary impact similar to that of the iPhone on smartphones.
In the domestic market, many startups have also entered the market. Domestic manufacturers such as Rokid, Thunderbird Innovation, and XREAL have launched a number of AI glasses in the past two years. Large companies have also started to take action. Huawei has also released smart glasses in cooperation with Gentle Monster.
Image source: Huawei official website
Driven by multiple players, the AI glasses market has shown an explosive growth trend in recent years. A report from the International Data Corporation (IDC) shows that in the first quarter of 2025, the global shipment volume of smart glasses reached 1.487 million units, a year-on-year increase of 82.3%. The growth in the Chinese market was even more rapid. In the first quarter of 2025, the domestic shipment volume of smart glasses was 494,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 116.1%, accounting for about one-third of the global share.
With the participation of popular brands such as Xiaomi and the stimulation of consumption through subsidies, IDC predicts that the shipment volume of smart glasses in China will reach 2.907 million units in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 121.1%. Although the shipment volume of 2.9 million units is still in the early stage compared with smartphones, the industry generally believes that AI glasses are at the inflection point of transitioning from "0 to 1" to "1 to N".
02 Is it the Next "Revolutionary" Product or Just a "Flash in the Pan"?
Facing the rapidly heating up AI glasses track, the industry and the investment community generally have high hopes for it, but they also maintain a cautious and calm attitude.
"AI glasses may be the 'entry-level' product most likely to detonate the next round of computing platform revolution after smartphones." Guotou Securities evaluated in a research report. The report believes that in the AI era, a large number of applications need a new carrier. Since smart glasses can naturally integrate voice and visual interaction and do not need to be held by hand, they are regarded as the best hardware form for the implementation of AI large models on mobile devices.
The enthusiasm of investors can be seen from the number of startups. As of April 2025, the number of registered enterprises related to AI glasses in China has exceeded 440. It can be said that the capital market has taken a fancy to the potential of AI glasses to become the next popular consumer electronics product.
The maturity of large models is also considered to be one of the key backgrounds for catalyzing the explosion of smart glasses. Wang Junjie, the vice president of Rokid, said that in recent years, the capabilities of generative AI large models have advanced by leaps and bounds, but they need a suitable terminal carrier to play their role, and AI glasses are one of the very ideal carriers. He said bluntly, "I think it is still in the early stage, a stage with a very high growth curve."
Although all parties are optimistic about the long-term potential of AI glasses, the industry is also clearly aware of the current deficiencies. "Whether it is Meta or Xiaomi, their AI glasses are basically still in the development stage of being 'half toys and half tools', and the tool attribute only accounts for about 30%-40%." Sun Yanbiao, the chairman of Chaodian Think Tank, frankly told the media. In other words, the practical value provided by smart glasses at present is relatively limited, and to a large extent, they are still for novelty and experimentation.
An industry analyst told Jiedian Finance that for AI glasses to move from concept to the daily life of the general public, there are still a series of problems to be solved, including cost, battery life, ecosystem, and the cultivation of user habits. Technically, many key indicators are still far from the ideal state. In the market, consumers' awareness and acceptance of this new product category also need time to be cultivated.
In the past, smart glasses have long remained in the niche market, and many ordinary users lack understanding of their functions and uses. However, with the promotion of many manufacturers this year, consumers' attention has risen rapidly. According to statistics from Tmall, the search volume related to smart AR glasses increased by 78% year-on-year in a recent week, which shows that AI glasses are gradually breaking out of the geek circle and attracting the interest of a wider range of consumers.
Image source: Xiaohongshu
After the launch of Xiaomi AI glasses, a large number of unboxing and evaluation contents have emerged on social platforms such as Weibo, Bilibili, and Xiaohongshu. Even some digital bloggers who usually "don't wear glasses" have started to try them out. A user who has been waiting to buy smart glasses told Jiedian Finance that Xiaomi's entry has lowered the psychological threshold: "I've wanted to try AI glasses for a long time, and finally a big company has taken action. The price of 1,999 yuan is not too outrageous, and the battery life of 8 hours seems quite reliable." It is this combination of "endorsement by a big company + affordable price" that has stimulated the purchasing impulse of many ordinary consumers.
However, there are also many complaints and doubts. Some consumers reported that there are still obvious deficiencies in the appearance and wearing experience of current AI glasses: "Compared with ordinary glasses, the frame of Xiaomi's glasses is very thick, and it doesn't seem very suitable for long-term daily wear." In addition, the battery life and heat generation are also highly concerned. Although the official claims that the typical battery life of Xiaomi glasses can reach 8 hours, some users found that only 40% of the battery was left after 3 hours of high-intensity use.
In terms of the AI function experience, many consumers said that the intelligence of current glasses is more of an extension of the mobile phone assistant function and cannot be regarded as subversive. A consumer who bought Xiaomi glasses told Jiedian Finance, "There is actually a delay in the real-time AI dialogue function, and if there are multiple Xiaomi devices at home, often a single voice command will wake up all the devices to respond together, which is quite embarrassing." It can be seen that there is still room for improvement in the accuracy of voice interaction and device collaboration of AI glasses.
03 Are the Software and Hardware Ready?
For AI glasses to truly achieve large-scale application, the maturity of the technology chain and supply chain behind them is crucial. At present, the hardware supply chain is quickly catching up, but there are still many shortcomings in software and hardware that need to be addressed.
According to public information, most of the core components of Xiaomi AI glasses are provided by domestic manufacturers: the whole machine is manufactured by Goertek, the optical module is from Sunny Optical, the Bluetooth audio chip uses the solution of Airoha Technology, the storage is provided by Biwin, the battery supplier is Desay Battery, and the processor chip uses the Qualcomm platform. In addition, there are also foreign and domestic manufacturers such as Sony providing image sensors and Knowles Electronics providing microphones.
It can be said that the supporting capabilities of China's local electronic industry chain are sufficient to meet the demand for most components of smart glasses. This mature supply chain foundation comes from years of accumulation in the smartphone and consumer electronics industries. Huatai Securities pointed out that the development of AI glasses depends on the iteration of large models and the support of a complete and efficient industrial chain, and many related links are already relatively mature in fields such as AI + home appliances and can be reused.
Jiedian Finance analyzed that for smart glasses to become a portable device for the general public, they must strike a balance between size and weight, battery life, and display effect. However, the industry compares these three aspects to an "impossible triangle" - increasing the battery size will increase the weight, enhancing the display will increase the power consumption, and being lightweight and compact often restricts performance.
Image source: Rokid official website
It is worth noting that many AI glasses are not equipped with a real display function, which actually avoids optical problems and results in a lightweight appearance. These products mainly emphasize information acquisition through "ears and eyes" rather than overlaying digital content in the field of vision.
The above analyst told Jiedian Finance that the combination of AI and AR is the ultimate form. In the future, when optics and computing power are mature, AI glasses are expected to replace traditional screens such as mobile phones and computers and become the entry-level devices to the "metaverse".
Compared with the rapid iteration of hardware, the software and content ecosystem of AI glasses is still relatively weak at present. Many consumers don't know what else they can do with smart glasses after the novelty wears off.
The services that a pair of AI glasses can provide depend on the ecosystem it is connected to. The reason why Meta glasses lead in sales is largely due to their seamless access to Meta's huge social matrix. The captured images can be uploaded to Instagram and Facebook with one click and shared with friends, which provides users with a closed-loop experience of shooting and sharing immediately.
In China, smart glasses manufacturers are also trying to enrich application scenarios. Rokid was the first to connect with Alipay, enabling users to complete payments through glasses without taking out their mobile phones; Xiaomi demonstrated using glasses to control smart home appliances and turn on household appliances through first-person dialogue; some glasses have built-in applications such as navigation, sports recording, and real-time translation, targeting high-frequency scenarios such as daily travel and fitness.
However, overall, the existing applications are still far from being "killer apps". Many functions can already be achieved by mobile phones, and glasses have not created new usage scenarios.
Jiedian Finance believes that to upgrade smart glasses from "audio and shooting tools" to "personal life assistants", manufacturers need to accelerate ecological cooperation, lay out applications for glasses in advance, and migrate or innovate existing mobile services to the glasses scenario. This includes attracting more third-party developers to develop APPs for glasses or opening APIs to make existing applications compatible with glasses. It can be predicted that as the hardware gradually matures, the software ecosystem will become the key battlefield for competition.
In addition, the direct factor restricting the large-scale popularization of smart glasses at present is the insufficient experience of the products themselves. Problems such as weight, battery life, heat generation, clarity, and fashion need to be continuously solved through technological improvement and design optimization.
For example, in terms of battery and heat dissipation, new materials, new processes, and the combination of software and hardware need to be used for optimization to make the device durable and not too hot. In terms of optical display, if AR functions are to be introduced, it is necessary to ensure a comfortable visual experience without dizziness and clear visibility under various indoor and outdoor lighting conditions. These are all "tough nuts to crack".
But equally important is that the privacy, security, and etiquette issues caused by smart glasses need to be jointly faced by the entire industry. Back then, Google Glass was once banned from restaurants, cinemas, and other places because of the concern of secret filming caused by its built-in camera, and the term "Glasshole" even became a popular Internet buzzword.
This shows that even the coolest technology must consider social norms and public sentiment. Most of the new smart glasses nowadays have added recording indicators, shutter sounds, and other prompts, but this may still not be enough to completely resolve the concerns of others. In the future, clear rules may need to be formulated in terms of legislative supervision and industry self-discipline.
Conclusion
Standing at the "Year of AI Glasses" in 2025, we can see both the upsurge of technology and the market and the challenges on the road to becoming a mass consumer product.
Some analysts pointed out that whether AI glasses can迎来 their own "iPhone moment" depends on the solution of the above bottleneck problems in the next 1-2 years and the emergence of killer apps. Optimists believe that driven by AI large models and the industrial chain, smart glasses are expected to be quickly popularized and become the next-generation personal computing terminal; cautious people remind that the current products are not perfect yet, and the industry needs to continue to overcome difficulties in cost control, battery life improvement, ecosystem construction, and user habit cultivation.
The early version of AI glasses that are "usable, sufficient but not subversive" has already come before us, but the real game-changing products are still on the way. As Guotou Securities said, "A market space of trillions is可期." The competition in the future computing platform has just begun.
This article is from the WeChat official account "Jiedian Finance". Author: Jiedian Finance. Republished with permission.
