Introduction to Smart Glasses
In China, a brand new trend is emerging with using AI glasses that allow wearers to pay in shops with just a look at a QR code and a voice command. This technology is an element of a growing variety of corporations trying to conquer each domestic and overseas markets. Interest in smart eyewear is soaring worldwide after greater than a decade of stalled promise, with advances in artificial intelligence sparking a fresh boon for the sector.
The Market Leaders
US giant Meta is currently the clear market leader, but a bunch of Chinese corporations, including behemoths like Alibaba and Xiaomi, in addition to start-ups like Rokid and XREAL, want to catch up. Rokid CEO Misa Zhu believes that China has a bonus out there on account of its ecosystem and provide chain, that are all based within the country. China can also be a large and lucrative marketplace for wearable tech, with smart glasses sales expected to have grown 116 percent by 2025.
Domestic Edge
Domestically, Chinese corporations have an undeniable edge, as Meta’s services are blocked in China and inaccessible with out a VPN. The country’s internet-based infrastructure, similar to QR payment codes in shops, can also be more developed than in Europe and the United States. This gives Chinese corporations a head start out there, allowing them to concentrate on developing their technology and expanding their customer base.
Competition within the Market
Other Chinese corporations, similar to Xiaomi, RayNeo, Thunderobot, and Kopin, are also energetic players within the smart glasses sector. Xiaomi, specifically, has been a "dark horse" out there, with its debut AI glasses being the third best-selling of their kind for the primary half of 2025, despite only being on sale for about every week. Rokid has also gained attention, raising over $4 million on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter.
Features and Technology
Rokid’s glasses allow customers to make use of Chinese apps in China and other apps elsewhere, unlike competitors like Meta, which limit the apps on offer. The glasses are also not locked to at least one generative AI model, allowing users to attach with different models similar to OpenAI, Llama, Gemini, and Grok. Another feature demonstrated by Rokid is simultaneous translation, which displays phosphor-green English subtitles on the glasses’ inner lenses as an worker talks in Chinese.
Challenges Ahead
Despite the advancements in technology, shattering Meta’s dominance overseas shall be difficult. Meta commanded a 73 percent share of the growing global smart glasses market in the primary half of 2025. The company’s success has been attributed to the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, that are almost indistinguishable from on a regular basis, fashionable eyewear. Rokid has also unveiled latest collaborations with Bolon, which is owned by Ray-Ban’s parent company EssilorLuxottica.
User Experience and Accessibility
The user experience and accessibility of smart glasses are still major challenges that should be addressed. Across the board, the experience needs more polish, and manufacturers must make the technology more user-friendly. Privacy concerns also remain a hurdle, with the ramifications of widely worn glasses discreetly and near-constantly recording throwing up potential regulatory pitfalls.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the smart glasses market is rapidly growing, with Chinese corporations like Rokid and Xiaomi trying to challenge Meta’s dominance. While there are challenges ahead, manufacturers remain confident that smart glasses will change into a necessary a part of our every day lives. As Rokid’s CEO Misa Zhu said, "Today, our AI glasses are phone peripherals, but within the near future… phones will change into accessories to the glasses." With continued advancements in technology and enhancements in user experience, smart glasses are prone to change into a serious player within the tech industry.
