The fast rise of AI glasses, often referred to as the “Battle of a Hundred AI Glasses”, reflects more than competition in hardware. Tech giants are rushing in because they fear missing the next major user interface. Winning this race will depend less on technical specs and more on building complete usage scenarios and owning real-world data.
Not long ago, smart glasses attracted only early tech adopters. Today the market looks more like a long-distance competition. Google revived its Glass project, Alibaba rolled out six products in quick succession and Li Auto stepped in as well. Big companies are entering fast and the market is filling up.
Forecasts are strong, with the global AI glasses market projected to reach 4.2 billion dollars in 2025, rising 67.2 percent from the previous year. Yet many buyers still hesitate, unsure whether these devices are the future or just a moment of hype. Will they redefine human interaction or fade like Google Glass which received praise but struggled in sales
Why Tech Giants are All Turning to Eyewear
The numbers reveal rapid growth. In the first quarter of 2025, global AI glasses shipments reached 1.487 million units, up 82.3 percent year on year. China grew even faster at 116.1 percent with 494,000 units sold.
By late 2025 the AI glasses space is filled with competitors. Within weeks Quark launched six models across consumer and professional markets. Google resumed work on Glass Enterprise Edition and plans to reveal Project Aura with XREAL soon. Huawei, Xiaomi and Meta are already deep in the category.
According to the observation of “TrueView”, the main players fit into three groups. One group includes platform giants such as Alibaba, Google and Meta, entering to expand and protect their ecosystems. Another group is smartphone manufacturers like Huawei and Xiaomi who excel in device integration. The third group focuses on vertical needs, like Rokid which merges AI and AR for translation, industry use and teleprompters.
Different strategies and target users make the landscape complex. Alibaba follows an aggressive ecosystem approach with pricing under 2000 dollars and deep links to Tongyi Qianwen, Alipay and Gaode Navigation. Its Quark AI Glasses S1 support voice and image based Q and A using the Master Agent system for multi step commands. The company is also building offline retail partnerships for distribution.
Li Auto’s Livis centers on car functions such as remote door opening and climate control. Xiaomi and similar brands focus on display tech and health features. More than 40 AI glasses appeared in early 2025, more than double the entire output of 2024.
Still, sales growth remains slow. An industry observer told “TrueView” that AI glasses are in the awareness and habit forming stage. The goal now is not mass sales but lowering entry barriers, building brand presence and encouraging use. Companies push affordable devices first and rely on ecosystem services later.
Because features like music, photos and AI assistants are easy to copy, hardware alone no longer sets winners apart. The real battle is in ecosystem and experience.
How This Movement Compares to Smartwatches
AI glasses follow a familiar pattern of technology adoption where success depends on balancing capability, cost and practical scenarios. They resemble early smartwatches which at first depended heavily on phones. Improvements in chips and sensors eventually allowed watches to track health independently.
The shift for glasses comes from smaller and faster AI models like Tongyi Qianwen Mini and Gemini Nano which now allow natural real time voice interaction with under 100 milliseconds of delay.
Smartwatches succeeded by solving real needs such as health monitoring and fast notifications. AI glasses aim for something bigger. Instead of measuring steps they capture what the user sees and hears. They are built for constant wear and continuous scene awareness. This fits what Altman described as a device that can “deeply understand scenarios and take over tasks for a long time”.
Some business uses already work well. Google Glass helps detect maintenance issues in industrial settings much like smartwatches thrive in professional sports. For consumer appeal glasses must find a universal everyday purpose. Alibaba hopes to make navigation and payment as simple as looking. But glasses must be more convenient than phones or watches for that to succeed.
Battery life, comfort, heat and privacy remain challenges. Mainstream devices last only four to six hours. Ecosystem value must come from new use cases, not ones users can already access with a phone.
Where the Core Battle Will Be Fought
Two forces drive this race. One is the push to own the next major interaction interface. The other is the value of real world data. Together they shape future winners.
AI glasses represent the final missing hardware link for giants like Alibaba, Google and Baidu. They already have cloud, models, payments and navigation. What they need is a device worn daily to unify everything.
Alibaba stands out. It shifted from a product focused approach to an ecosystem centered one built around Qianwen. Internally Qianwen is called “the symbol of Alibaba’s AI consumer-facing brand”. A team of more than 500 people was assembled within 96 hours without OKR constraints to accelerate development.
This is not just about glasses. It is about creating an AI gateway for shopping, travel and cloud services. Baidu and Google pursue similar logic which is why they are described as “twins from different countries”. They fight not for hardware share but for long term position in users lives.
Data is the other major force. Internet text and video are no longer enough for the next generation of models. The industry agrees with Li Xiang’s statement that “AI glasses are the best carrier for collecting real-world data”. First-person video, sound, gaze direction and location form the raw material needed to train AI that understands environments.
Whoever controls this data may lead the AGI era. Competition is shifting from hardware to ecosystem and usage frequency. Alibaba aims for instant services through one-glance access while Li Auto builds deep integration with vehicles. Brands without unique ecosystems may struggle.
The user experience matters heavily. Xiaomi’s first glasses had a 40 percent return rate and other brands suffered due to connection or chip issues. People will not tolerate discomfort or lag no matter how innovative a product sounds.
Patience becomes as important as technology. Ecosystems and datasets take years to mature. Alibaba’s careful traffic strategy shows awareness of this long haul.
The Road Ahead for AI Glasses
This wave of AI glasses is less about gadgets and more about building the groundwork for future computing. Hardware is only the vessel. Ecosystems create defensibility. Data will decide who leads the next decade.
The winner of the “Battle of a Hundred AI Glasses” will not be determined by one hit product. Victory will belong to whoever best balances user experience, ecosystem integration and data strength.
Progress will come unexpectedly and slowly. For now, the smart approach is interest with patience rather than hype.
ALSO READ: Li Auto Launches Budget-Friendly Livis AI Glasses In Competitive Wearable Tech Market
