Undoubtedly, the flame of AI is burning brighter than ever. Not only are more companies joining the AI wave, but the integration of AI with various industries is becoming increasingly seamless. Consequently, a plethora of AI-enabled hardware products have emerged, encompassing AI phones, AI learning machines, AI headphones, and AI glasses, among others.

Among these, AI glasses have particularly gained traction, emerging as a dark horse in the smart hardware race, showcasing remarkable growth. According to data and forecasts from wellsennXR, beginning in 2025, with the steady growth of traditional glasses sales, AI smart glasses are poised to rapidly penetrate this market. By 2029, annual sales of AI smart glasses are anticipated to reach 55 million pairs.

AI Glasses: A Sudden Surge in Popularity

Recently, Shanji Technology officially unveiled its inaugural AI glasses, the Shanji AI "Snap Shot" A1, marking the first officially available AI glasses in China. Remarkably, within just 24 hours of pre-sale, the entire planned production run of 50,000 units before the Spring Festival sold out completely. Following the success of Ray-Ban Meta, Shanji AI "Snap Shot" has also seen a surge in popularity. This underscores the growing appeal of AI glasses as a novel wearable device. Behind this popularity lies a logical rationale.

Firstly, continuous technological advancements have endowed AI glasses with newfound possibilities. As the name suggests, AI glasses are ordinary glasses enhanced with a suite of AI features, such as AI voice assistants and real-time translation. However, due to the intricate structure of glasses, manufacturing AI glasses is no easy feat. Nonetheless, with technological maturity, advancements in chip, sensor, and battery technologies have enabled the miniaturization of devices, laying the groundwork for the successful production of AI glasses. Concurrently, the thriving AI technology has equipped AI glasses with more robust AI capabilities.

Secondly, consumers have a high acceptance of smart hardware products and harbor significant curiosity and novelty towards emerging smart hardware offerings like AI glasses. Currently, intelligence is progressively integrating into people's daily lives, and consumers increasingly prefer products endowed with intelligent features. As a novel wearable device, AI glasses, in addition to their fundamental functions, also integrate photography, audio, video recording, and other AI features. They not only satisfy consumers' curiosity about smart devices but are also practical, thereby gaining favor with consumers.

Thirdly, the popularity of Meta AI glasses has highlighted the immense potential within the AI glasses market, prompting various giants to accelerate their layouts, further catalyzing the development of the AI glasses industry. According to The Verge, as of May 2024, global sales of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses surpassed 1 million units. The success of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses has instilled confidence in various players. As giants compete to deploy in the AI glasses industry, related enterprises are actively investing in research and development to create novel products and capture market share, thereby promoting the growth of the entire industry.

Is the "Battle of a Hundred Glasses" About to Commence?

Currently, AI glasses have emerged as the hottest sector, attracting numerous players to deploy in this domain successively. The domestic market has witnessed a craze for AI glasses, with numerous enterprises announcing plans to explore the AI glasses business. Some participants have even launched corresponding AI glasses products. With the influx of more players, the AI glasses industry has sounded the clarion call to battle, and the "battle of a hundred glasses" is gradually becoming a reality.

Firstly, internet giants, represented by Baidu and ByteDance, not only possess deep accumulations of AI technology but also enjoy strong brand recognition. On this foundation, the AI glasses launched by these enterprises tend to exhibit superior AI capabilities, and their brand influence facilitates consumer acceptance of their new products.

For instance, at the recently held Baidu World 2024 conference, Baidu unveiled its latest product, "Xiaodu AI Glasses." As is well-known, Baidu has been deeply entrenched in the field of AI for an extended period, and its AI prowess is evident to all. According to the "Baidu AI Innovation and Patent White Paper 2024," as of the end of 2023, Baidu had filed 19,308 patents and obtained 9,260 authorized patents in the field of artificial intelligence, ranking first in China for six consecutive years.

Leveraging its AI capabilities, Baidu has introduced the world's first AI glasses equipped with a Chinese large language model. Supported by its profound AI strength, Xiaodu AI Glasses offer diverse functionalities, including first-person-view photography, walk-and-talk assistance, calorie recognition, object identification, audio-visual translation, and smart reminders.

Secondly, mobile phone manufacturers, represented by Huawei and Xiaomi, possess deep accumulations in technological research and development, hardware manufacturing, brand influence, and supply chains, which will robustly support their AI glasses businesses. For instance, mobile phone manufacturers' technological prowess facilitates AI glasses research and development, supply chain advantages aid in creating cost-effective products, and brand influence attracts more potential customer groups.

According to incomplete statistics, numerous mobile phone manufacturers, including Huawei, Xiaomi, and Honor, have announced their plans to deploy in the AI glasses sector. Relevant reports indicate that the AI glasses jointly developed by Xiaomi and GoerTek are anticipated to be available to consumers in the second quarter of 2025. Huawei has already launched Huawei Smart Glasses 2 Square Sunglasses in May, which are equipped with Huawei HarmonyOS 4 and integrated with Huawei's Pangu AI large model. It is evident that AI glasses have become a common goal for mobile phone manufacturers, and their prior accumulations will aid them in creating more competitive AI glasses products.

Lastly, AR/VR glasses manufacturers, represented by Liweike Technology and Star Realme, possess expertise in optics and interactive design, which can be applied to AI glasses, enabling them to swiftly develop AI glasses products. Therefore, compared to other nascent enterprises, many current VR/AR glasses manufacturers have already introduced specific AI glasses products.

For example, in April this year, Liweike Technology launched its inaugural AI glasses, "Meta Lens Chat," which emphasizes AI voice interaction capabilities, providing users with a unique voice interaction experience. Coincidentally, Star Realme also released an AI+AR smart glasses, StarV Air2, which is not only stylish but also features translation, instant voice-to-text conversion, and AR navigation.

AI Glasses: A Complex Endeavor

Considering various factors, AI glasses have undoubtedly emerged as a new frontier, and the entry of diverse players will further amplify their popularity. However, despite the rapid ascent of the AI glasses industry, numerous challenges persist.

Firstly, there is uncertainty regarding the market demand for AI glasses, and it remains unclear whether the current high growth trajectory can be sustained. Presently, many AI glasses products are experiencing robust sales, with the popularity of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses serving as a prime example. Nonetheless, a significant proportion of consumers purchase AI glasses out of curiosity and novelty. Additionally, the functionalities of AI glasses significantly overlap with those of mobile phones, thereby posing uncertainty regarding the sustainability of consumer interest, which will inevitably impact the development of the AI glasses industry.

Secondly, due to technological constraints, AI glasses still have room for improvement. With the incorporation of AI capabilities, the functionalities of AI glasses have evolved, making them favored by consumers and achieving popularity. However, current AI glasses are not flawless and still harbor some issues, one of which is battery life. As is widely known, battery performance is intimately tied to its volume and weight. However, AI glasses are primarily designed to be worn as glasses, prioritizing comfort and weight, which means that increasing battery capacity by enlarging the battery size is impractical. Battery life is intimately linked to the user experience of AI glasses. If the battery life issue cannot be resolved, the consumer experience will naturally be compromised.

In summary, AI glasses are evolving into a new "must-win battleground," with internet giants, mobile phone manufacturers, and AR/VR glasses manufacturers all actively deploying their strategies. A fierce competition may soon unfold. As for who will emerge victorious in this "battle of a hundred glasses," only time will tell.