Alibaba Enters Smart Glasses Market with Qwen-Powered Quark AI Glasses to Challenge Meta

China's Alibaba brings removable batteries to the smart glasses race

Alibaba said the Quark AI glasses come in two variants, the S1 flagship and the "lifestyle-focused" G1, in multiple colors and lens types. Prices start at 3,799 yuan ($537) and 1,899 yuan ($268), respectively. The main difference are the lenses, Alibaba said, with the S1 using clear micro-OLED displays. Both have bone conduction microphones, built-in cameras, and a "swappable dual-battery system" that "delivers up to 24 hours of battery life." They're powered by Alibaba's AI model Qwen and a linked app, meaning they can be controlled via voice or touch. Alibaba said the glasses will be integrated with its apps like Alipay and Taobao, as well as music streaming platforms like QQ Music and NetEase Cloud Music. They'll be able to provide services like on-the-go translation, instant price recognition, navigation support, and meeting transcription. International models will be available next year, according to Bloomberg, but those markets haven't been identified. The glasses mark an effort to crack the market for AI-powered wearables tech companies bet could be the next big consumer gadget. Meta, with its Ray-Ban glasses, is the clear leader, but others like Apple, and whatever Sam Altman is developing with Jony Ive, are rushing to catch up.

Alibaba launches its own AI glasses

Alibaba's Quark AI glasses are now available for purchase in China. The company has released three variants of the flagship S1 model and three of the more affordable G1 model. They both connect to Alibaba's newly launched Qwen App, powered by the company's own AI tech, for AI assistance through voice commands and touch controls. Their features include on-the-go translation and AI-generated meeting notes. As you'd expect, they're deeply integrated with Alibaba's ecosystem and come equipped with apps that include Alipay and Taobao, an online shopping platform owned by the company. They have popular Chinese music streaming services, like QQ Music, as well. Similar to Meta's Ray-Ban Display, the glasses' lenses serve as screens, though the S1 is equipped with more expensive micro-OLED technology. It also has more powerful dual chips. In addition, the S1 can produce better images (up to 3K in quality) and videos (AI-enhanced 4K), and it was designed to perform better in low-lighting conditions. Meanwhile, the G1 is lighter and was built for everyday wear. It's not quite clear if Alibaba plans to release the glasses outside China, but both models are now up for sale on Chinese e-commerce platforms. The S1's prices start at ¥3,799 ($537), whereas the G1 will cost buyers at least ¥1,899 ($268).

Alibaba's AI glasses to rival Meta go on sale for $500

The company said that some of the features include on-the-go translation, AI-generated meeting notes and the ability to ask the virtual assistants questions. Users take pictures of a product using the camera in the lens and then the device will show the price of that product on Taobao, Alibaba's main shopping app in China. Alibaba, like other technology companies such as U.S. giant Meta, are betting that smart glasses could be the next big consumer device after the smartphone. In September, Meta unveiled the $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, the social media company's first consumer-ready smart glasses with a built-in display. Users can control the device via hand gestures with a special wristband. Alibaba's glasses will initially go on sale in China and compete with domestic rivals, including consumer electronics maker Xiaomi and startup Xreal. The smart glasses market is still small but growing rapidly. By 2026, shipments of AI glasses are expected to exceed more than 10 million units, doubling from 2025, according to a forecast from Omdia. For Alibaba, the glasses are its latest play in the consumer AI market as it looks to build on its recent successes. The company's ChatGPT-style Qwen app got 10 million downloads in the first week of the public beta launch. Meanwhile, Alibaba's cloud computing business, where it books much of its AI-relate revenue, saw an acceleration of growth in the last quarter. The Hangzhou, headquartered company is one of the leaders in China's AI space, and has been investing aggressively in AI alongside rival giants like Baidu and Tencent, and aggressively launching new models.

Alibaba takes on Meta with Qwen-powered Quark AI Glasses

Alibaba has entered the wearables market with Quark AI Glasses, which has its ChatGPT rival Qwen built in. As the battle around smart glasses heats up, amid new AI-powered versions, Chinese retail and technology giant Alibaba has officially entered the market with its Qwen-powered Quark AI Glasses now officially available for purchase. According to an IDC report published in October, the global wearables market is growing fast, with 136.5m units shipped in Q2 2025, an almost 10pc increase year-on-year, with over 60pc of these units accounted for by eyewear. Notwithstanding the push from Meta, China continues to be the biggest driver, accounting for some 50m of those units shipped. Now Chinese retail and technology giant Alibaba has entered the fray with its Quark AI Glasses going on sale this week. While still relatively niche, the smart glasses battle has been heating up in recent times, with Apple entering the fray, reportedly pausing work on a cheaper and lighter variant of its Vision Pro headset and pivoting towards smart glasses that compete with Meta. "Glasses are going to be the next major computing platform," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg claimed last year. His belief is that the tech will slowly replace smartphones in the 2030s. Meta has been working on smart glasses for a number of years, releasing the Ray-Ban Stories in 2021 and Ray-Ban Meta in 2023. The company's latest development in the line, the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, retail for $799, and come with AI capabilities - although the glasses failed a public demonstration in a glitch-filled performance in Zuckerberg's own hands earlier this year. The new Quark AI Glasses are already available for purchase on major Chinese e-commerce platforms like Tmall, JD.com and Douyin, and Alibaba says it is rolling out in 604 partner optical stores across 82 cities in China. It's a first foray by Alibaba into the consumer tech hardware market, as it bets on the proliferation of smart glasses powered by AI. Starting at ¥3,799 ($540) the Quark AI Glasses S1 has dual micro-OLED displays, dual chips, and advanced voice pickup with bone conduction technology. Alibaba says its "industry-first swappable dual-battery system" will delivers up to 24 hours of battery life. The display-free G1 model starts at just ¥1,899 ($270), with all the similar hardware except the display. "AI glasses are a uniquely powerful wearable as they consist of everything we envision for an AI assistant," said Wu Jia, vice president, Alibaba Group. "Looking ahead, AI glasses open the door to a revolutionary way of connecting and interacting with computers in the AI era. With Quark AI Glasses deeply integrated with Qwen, users can access Qwen anytime, anywhere, enabling the AI to connect seamlessly with the real world and deliver value at an unprecedented scale." While it still hard to predict if Mark Zuckerberg's prediction that smart glasses will one day replace smartphones is realistic, the Quark AI glasses might give us a peek into the future with their more light-weight, less-clunky design making them more 'wearable'. Time will tell. Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

Alibaba starts selling Quark AI glasses in China, enters global wearables race

Alibaba has entered the AI wearables market with its Quark glasses, aiming to challenge Meta's dominance. Priced from 1,899 yuan, these glasses are powered by Alibaba's Qwen AI model and promise deep integration with popular apps like Alipay and Taobao for tasks like instant translation and price recognition. Alibaba released on Thursday its new Quark artificial intelligence glasses in China, heralding the Chinese tech company's efforts to break into the AI wearables market dominated by Meta globally. Prices will start from 1,899 yuan ($268.25) for the headset that will be powered by Alibaba's Qwen AI model and app. Unlike other headsets made by the likes of Meta, the Quark glasses look like regular eyewear, with a black plastic frame. Alibaba said the glasses would be deeply integrated with its apps such as payment app Alipay and its shopping site Taobao, with users able to use it for tasks such as on-the-go translation and instant price recognition. The company is making an aggressive push into the consumer AI market after having historically lagged rivals. Earlier this month it launched a major upgrade to its AI chatbot. The race to find new forms of devices for entertainment and computing, underpinned by AI, has fueled a battle among the biggest technology companies. Instagram-owner Meta overwhelmingly dominates the VR headset industry with about an 80% market share. Apple sells its Vision Pro headset while Samsung Electronics released its Galaxy XR extended reality headset in October that uses AI features from Alphabet's Google. Other Chinese tech companies have also launched similar AI-powered glasses. Xiaomi launched a product in June, while Baidu already has a similar product being sold.

Alibaba Launches Qwen AI-Powered Smart Glasses to Challenge Meta's Ray-Ban Model

Alibaba's S1 Smart Glasses Offer Brighter Micro-LED Displays and Cost Nearly 30% Less Than Meta's New Ray-Ban Model Alibaba has launched its first pair of smart glasses, Quark AI Glasses. This move is part of the company's push into consumer AI and smart devices. The glasses are now available in China, with prices starting at 1,899 yuan (approximately $268) for the G1 model. The premium S1 model costs 3,799 yuan (approximately $536). The glasses use Alibaba's Qwen AI app, similar to ChatGPT. This lets users control the glasses with their voice. The glasses can show translations, take AI-generated meeting notes, and answer questions. They also let users scan products with the camera and check prices on Taobao, Alibaba's shopping app.