2025 China AI Glasses Industry Research Report
Preface: How Far Away Is the Next "iPhone Moment"?
The "iPhone Moment" is used to describe those iconic and epoch - making moments—when the emergence of a technological product or innovation completely changes the landscape of an industry or field and profoundly impacts people's daily lives and social structure.
From today's perspective, we can't help but wonder: When will the next "iPhone Moment" arrive?
AI glasses are not only a product of technology but may also become a new lifestyle and a medium that invisibly breaks the boundaries between people and the world. Whether it's the brand - new experience brought by augmented reality or the intelligence endowed by artificial intelligence, they all find a perfect place in these glasses.
We can imagine that in the near future, it will no longer be just a tool but a partner integrated into our lives, becoming a bridge for us to communicate with the world, others, and ourselves.
But how far away is all of this from us? Will it take a few years of effort or a longer period of precipitation? Perhaps today's technology is still in the exploratory stage, the design is still evolving, and the market is still observing.
However, AI glasses may be quietly on this path, waiting for that "iPhone Moment" to arrive and waiting for a glimmer of dawn in the future to help us "see" the whole world clearly.
Overview of the Chinese AI Glasses Industry
Overview of the Definition and Classification of AI Glasses
Artificial intelligence empowers traditional glasses products, and their functionality and practicality are becoming increasingly perfect.
AI glasses are an innovative wearable device that integrates artificial intelligence technology on the basis of traditional glasses products and combines functions such as audio and photography. For AI glasses, the artificial intelligence attribute is their most core attribute. On this basis, they can be further divided into five major types according to the integrated technology or hardware type. There are certain differences in the applicable scenarios and user groups for each type, but the common point is that AI glasses bring efficiency improvements or experience enhancements to users' work and life.
Introduction to the Classification of AI Glasses
AI Audio Glasses
AI Shooting Glasses
AI Display Glasses (AI + AR)
Analysis of the Current Situation of the Chinese AI Glasses Industry
The Global Shipment Volume of AI Glasses Will Reach 20 Million by 2028
As an important derivative category of XR technology, smart glasses are experiencing explosive growth driven by the rapid development of AI large - model technology.
In September 2023, Meta and Ray - Ban jointly launched the AI smart glasses Ray - Ban Meta, and the cumulative shipment volume has exceeded 2 million units, triggering a new wave in the smart glasses market. With the success of Ray - Ban Meta, the boom in AI smart hardware and the technological breakthroughs in all - in - one AR glasses have jointly promoted the development of the smart glasses category. Since the second half of 2024, the domestic smart glasses market has rapidly gained momentum, and various brands have joined the AI glasses race. In 2025, the Chinese AI glasses market experienced explosive growth. iResearch predicts that the global shipment volume of AI glasses will reach 20 million by 2028.
Industrial Chain Map of Chinese AI Glasses
Overview of Typical Chinese AI Glasses Manufacturers
Overview of Manufacturers in the AI Glasses Market
Major manufacturers are entering the market one after another, accelerating the "deep integration of AI large - model and AR technology" and promoting the expansion of the AI glasses product market with lightweight and diversified scenarios.
Typical Manufacturer: RayNeo
Focusing on "self - developed technology + ecological integration + consumer - level popularization" of consumer - grade AI + AR glasses, it has the full - link self - development ability of core optical solutions.
Typical Manufacturer: Lawaken
Focusing on the AI + glasses track, with the core concept of "Let AI awaken", it is committed to creating the "first Chinese AI + AR trendy tech brand" glasses products.
Typical Manufacturer: Rokid
Focusing on human - computer interaction technology and developing AI + AR glasses, it builds an integrated platform of "hardware + software + ecosystem" through self - developed operating systems.
Typical Manufacturer: DreamSmart
With a cross - border integration gene, it clearly defines "AI mobile phones and smart glasses" as the two core tracks and builds a multi - terminal and full - scenario ecosystem around three major business lines.
Consumer Insights into Chinese AI Glasses
Users Have Diverse Cognitive Channels for Smart Glasses, and Big Brands Are More Likely to Be Recognized
Users have relatively diverse cognitive channels for AI glasses. Currently, they have a higher awareness of VR glasses, and cross - border big brands are more likely to gain a cognitive advantage.
The results of iResearch's survey show that users' awareness of AI glasses presents three major characteristics: In terms of user information acquisition, social media has a significant dissemination ability. 66.9% of users obtain product information through social media, exceeding technology reviews by 22 percentage points. The combined penetration rate of offline experience channels and physical - store promotions is less than 70%, resulting in an experience gap. In terms of category awareness, the concept of VR smart glasses emerged earlier and has a certain first - mover advantage in terms of voice volume. 79.4% of users have a deep understanding of VR glasses, and there is still room for improvement in the category promotion of AR and AI glasses. In terms of brand awareness, Huawei, Xiaomi, and Google together account for more than half of the awareness share. Cross - border big brands have a greater brand advantage in terms of awareness acquisition compared to numerous vertical professional manufacturers.
The Market Potential for Smart Glasses Purchases Is Huge, Especially in the AI Glasses Track
The smart glasses market has huge potential. Consumers have a significantly higher acceptance of smart glasses with AI functions and are willing to spend on such products.
iResearch's survey shows that nearly 61% of respondents have purchased or plan to purchase smart glasses, indicating that smart glasses products have a broad market foundation. In terms of the purchase situation of segmented categories, the overall purchase intention for AI - functional glasses is close to 40%, while the purchase interest in VR smart glasses and AR glasses without AI functions is significantly lower than that of AI glasses products. At the same time, in terms of price perception, the price range of 2,000 - 3,000 yuan is more recognized by consumers. Considering that the median monthly personal income of consumers is around 9,000 - 12,000 yuan, consumers have a relatively high acceptance of the price of smart glasses.
Buyers Have a High Interest in Purchasing AI Glasses and Prefer Medium - Priced Products
In the purchase of AI smart glasses, users show high interest. They mainly focus on the medium - price range and can accept a slightly higher price than their budget.
iResearch's survey results show that more than half of the purchased users own at least one pair of AI smart glasses, and more than 40% of the purchased users own 2 - 3 pairs of AI smart glasses. This shows that users have a high willingness to try AI glasses and are willing to continuously invest in upgrading their devices. The price range of 2,000 - 4,000 yuan is the main range for their current actual consumption, indicating that users generally recognize the price positioning of AI smart glasses and can accept a slightly higher price difference even if it exceeds their budget. In terms of purchase channels, although e - commerce platforms are the main ordering channels, social e - commerce and offline experience channels also play an important role, indicating the influence of user experience and social recommendations on their purchase decisions and the development trend of online - offline integrated retail.
Buyers Focus on the Functional Ecosystem When Purchasing AI Glasses
Functional requirements are the key to the decision - making of most consumers. A comfortable experience, multi - modal communication, and natural interaction are the directions that users focus on when purchasing AI glasses.
iResearch's survey results show that in the purchase decision - making process of purchased users, function accounts for an absolute advantage of 51.2% and becomes the primary consideration, which also reflects consumers' core expectations for wearable smart terminals. Appearance design comes second (accounting for 36.8%). A complete set of device ecological accessories and after - sales service form a complete consumption loop and are also important driving factors for user decision - making that cannot be ignored. From the perspective of users' concerns when purchasing, in terms of function support, users pay more attention to functions such as audio playback and calls, photography and video recording, AI interaction, navigation, and location. In terms of appearance design, users pay more attention to designs related to experience, including the location of interaction components, the similarity of wearing to ordinary glasses, the display effect of lenses, and indicators such as material and weight. In terms of component configuration, users pay more attention to components such as AI interaction function components, sensors, and lenses. Therefore, lightweight and comfortable experience, multi - modal communication, and natural interaction are the key directions that users focus on.
