At the Xiaomi press conference last night, there was a product that's even more appealing than the YU7. We tried it out.
Xiaomi AI Glasses Launched, Sales on JD.com Exceed 9,000+
On the evening of June 26th, Lei Jun, the founder, chairman, and CEO of Xiaomi, officially launched the first AI smart glasses at the Xiaomi Smart Mobility, Home, and Wearables Ecosystem Launch Event.
There are three versions available: the standard version priced at 1,999 yuan, the monochromatic electrochromic version at 2,699 yuan, and the color electrochromic version at 2,999 yuan. Additionally, there are three semi - transparent frame colors to choose from: black, tortoise brown, and parrot green.
After the national subsidy, the price starts from 1,699 yuan. It is now on sale across the entire network, and offline Xiaomi Home stores also support try - ons and purchases. JD.com shows that over 9,000 units have been sold, and the color electrochromic version is out of stock.
This price is more affordable compared to the domestic Rokid Glasses (priced at 2,499 yuan) and is even about 150 yuan lower than the Meta Ray - Ban (priced at $299, approximately 2,146 yuan). It's really a great deal.
It should be noted that due to technical limitations, the electrochromic version cannot be fitted with myopic lenses and can only be used with contact lenses. The standard version can be fitted with myopic lenses, but additional lens - fitting is required. Xiaomi supports optometry and lens - fitting at 400 offline stores, and online customization of Mingyue optical lenses is also available.
At the launch event, Lei Jun said that this is a "personal smart device for the next era."
Actual Test of Xiaomi AI Glasses: So "Light"
That night, Tech Daily Push placed an order for the standard black version. The first impression upon receiving it was "light."
Without lenses, the Xiaomi AI Glasses weigh only about 40g, which is almost the same as ordinary glasses. From a distance, it looks like wearing ordinary black - framed glasses.
It adopts a classic D - shaped square frame design. Wearing it is similar to wearing ordinary glasses, without any discomfort, and it fits the Asian face shape well. Let's talk about the Meta Ray - Ban. Since its design fits the European and American face shapes with generally higher noses, Asians need to attach additional nose pads when wearing it, otherwise, it will easily slide off.
Above the glasses, there is a 12 - megapixel Sony IMX681 camera, which supports 2K video recording at a resolution of 2304×1728.
When taking pictures, it will flash a yellow privacy indicator light. When the camera is blocked, the shooting function will be automatically disabled, so there's no need to worry about being secretly photographed.
Moreover, it can replace the phone camera for video calls on WeChat and QQ, and also supports live streaming on platforms such as Douyin and Bilibili, enabling "first - person immersive live streaming."
It's simply a blessing for video self - media bloggers. They no longer need to carry a camera on their heads every day!
With the Qualcomm AR1 main chip and the Hengxuan BES2700H co - processor, it has a battery life of up to 8.6 hours, which is enough to record a day's worth of video materials.
On the side of the temple, there are 1810 dual - magnetic unit open - type speakers. You don't need to wear headphones to listen to music, and it also supports the "privacy mode" to reduce sound leakage. The author's actual test shows that people around can hardly hear the sound unless they are very close.
One pair of glasses can handle taking pictures, shooting videos, and recording audio.
The glasses are equipped with Super Xiaoai. It supports voice Q&A, image recognition, and simultaneous interpretation in ten languages (including English, French, Japanese, Korean, etc.). In a meeting scenario, it can achieve silent recording and generate intelligent meeting minutes.
When taking pictures or videos, you can directly ask Xiaoai to start shooting through voice commands, which is especially suitable for situations such as sports and cooking. In August, a QR code payment function (Alipay "Pay with a Glance") and a parking space recording function will be added, perfectly freeing your hands.
This pair of glasses is also deeply integrated with the Xiaomi Smart Mobility, Home, and Wearables Ecosystem. It can control Xiaomi smart home devices by voice, synchronize vehicle control with Xiaomi cars (for example, the steering wheel button can trigger shooting), and also supports remote control from the mobile phone.
Competing with Meta Ray - Ban, Aiming for a Sales Target of 300,000 Units
Since last year, brands such as Baidu, Sharge, Rokid, and TCL have successively launched AI glasses. The saying of the "Battle of a Hundred Glasses" is no exaggeration.
However, Meta remains the absolute leader in the global AI smart glasses market.
Since its launch in October 2023, Meta Ray - Ban has sold 2 million units. According to Wellsenn XR, in the first quarter of this year, the global sales of AI smart glasses reached 600,000 units, a year - on - year increase of 216%, mainly contributed by Meta Ray - Ban.
Xiaomi AI Glasses not only look similar to Meta Ray - Ban in appearance but also have configurations that are almost an upgrade based on it:
Both are equipped with the Qualcomm AR1 Gen1 chip. However, Xiaomi uses a dual - chip solution, and its battery life is significantly longer than that of Meta;
They both use the same 12 - megapixel IMX681 sensor, but Xiaomi supports 2K video recording and a more accurate anti - shake algorithm;
It is lighter than the 48g Meta and is more suitable for the Asian face shape;
Both support real - time simultaneous interpretation, but Meta does not support Chinese...
The reason why Meta Ray - Ban leads in sales is not only due to its hardware configuration but also because it is connected to Meta's social matrix. Videos can be directly uploaded to platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.
Xiaomi is connected to the Xiaomi ecosystem and also supports uploading to third - party platforms, which may be another advantage in its competition with Meta.
However, although there have been million - level best - selling products in the overseas market, the AI glasses market in China is still in its early stage.
In May this year, Zhu Mingming, the founder and CEO of Rokid, revealed that the number of global pre - ordered units of Rokid Glasses with a deposit exceeded 250,000. Previously, it was reported that Xiaomi has set a target of selling 300,000 units of this AI glasses per year.
Meta's estimated annual sales of AI glasses this year are between 2.3 million and 3.3 million. It is by no means easy to replicate Meta's success.
Moreover, it cannot be ignored that even a powerful company like Meta is still in the red.
According to the 2024 financial report, Meta's annual investment in the AI/AR/VR wearable device department exceeded 20 billion yuan. In 2024, this department had a loss of $17.729 billion, with a loss rate as high as 89%. The hardware profit only covered 3.4% of its cost.
Just as the entire Xiaomi launch event lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes, and the part about AI glasses only took 7 minutes. Currently, for Xiaomi, getting into the market first may be the key point.
This article is from the WeChat official account “Tech Daily Push” (ID: apptoday), written by Zhao Zhishan, and is published by 36Kr with authorization.