In the first half of 2025, global smart glasses shipments soared 110% year-on-year, propelled largely by the growing appeal of AI-enabled models such as Meta’s Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses. Meta secured a commanding 73% share of this burgeoning market, thanks to strong demand and enhanced production capacity via its partner Luxottica, reports this article on Storyboard 18.
Chinese manufacturers, however, are emerging as notable challengers. Xiaomi made an impressive debut with its first AI glasses, which became the fourth best-selling smart glasses model globally and the third best-selling in the AI segment—despite being on sale for just about a week in H1 2025. Other Chinese contenders gaining traction include TCL-RayNeo (with its RayNeo V3 series), Thunderobot, and Kopin Solos.
These brands are leveraging competitive pricing, strong enthusiast communities, and rapid software upgrades to capture attention. Xiaomi, in particular, is expected to continue enhancing its product’s performance via OTA and software updates.
Looking ahead, competition is poised to intensify. Major players such as Alibaba are entering the fray with its Quark AI Glasses, set to launch in China by the end of 2025 and powered by its own Qwen large language model. ByteDance and Apple are also reportedly exploring the space, signaling a broader wave of innovation and rivalry.