The sales volume of smart glasses doubled in the first half of the year. Companies like Xiaomi are the unsung heroes behind the scenes. Is the future of AR glasses promising?

Smart glasses have become another smart terminal product with the potential to reach a trillion - level market scale after smartphones and smart watches.

According to the "Global Smart Glasses Model Shipment Tracking" report released by Counterpoint, the global smart glasses market shipments in the first half of 2025 increased by 110% year - on - year. Another research institution, IDC, predicts that the shipments of smart glasses in China will reach 2.907 million units in 2025, a year - on - year increase of 121.1%.

(Image source: Counterpoint)

Many readers may not have realized that smart glasses, which were once not favored, are gradually becoming a new force in the smart terminal market.

Is Xiaomi Contributing to the Rapid Growth of Smart Glasses?

In the early days, smart glasses were products that only some extreme digital enthusiasts would buy out of their own pockets. They were a niche product within a niche market. Moreover, the functions of early smart glasses were very limited. Many manufacturers simply added a small camera to the glasses and dared to call them "smart glasses." These glasses not only had useless functions but also came with a high price tag.

Currently, the smart glasses in the domestic market are mainly divided into audio - shooting glasses and AR glasses. The former is the main sales force in the entire smart glasses market and also the category with the lowest usage threshold and the most affordable price among various smart glasses categories.

Current AI glasses mainly interact through voice dialogue, simple touch, etc., and can achieve functions such as intelligent Q&A, navigation, and translation. AI glasses equipped with cameras can take photos and videos. AI + AR glasses with display functions can input more information through vision, integrate multi - modal technologies such as augmented reality and intelligent interaction to create a more immersive experience.

Compared with other wearable devices, it is closer to the senses and more convenient for interaction than smart watches, and has a higher acceptance rate than new hardware such as AI PIN.

(Image source: Xiaomi official)

Looking at specific brands, Xiaomi is obviously one of the main drivers behind the growth of smart glasses sales. Although the AI glasses released by Xiaomi are not particularly outstanding in terms of product strength, thanks to Xiaomi's strong brand appeal and excellent user stickiness, many users have become aware of the existence of smart glasses.

According to the device activation data from Xiaomi's official account, as of July 2, 2025 (released on June 26), the actual number of activated Xiaomi AI glasses users has exceeded 30,000, successfully setting a new record for the sales speed of Chinese AI glasses.

Mobile phone manufacturers also have a significant advantage: they have more say in supply chain management. Due to their long - term engagement in the production and manufacturing of smart terminal products such as mobile phones, mobile phone manufacturers can better control costs and ensure the quality and supply stability of products.

(Image source: Lei Technology)

For example, in terms of chip procurement, mobile phone manufacturers can obtain more favorable prices and better supply guarantees due to their large - scale purchases, which gives them more flexibility in pricing and market promotion of smart glasses products.

In addition to Xiaomi, brands such as Huawei, Jiehuan, and TCL Thunderbird also have very good sales on the three major e - commerce platforms. It can be seen that the brand appeal of large manufacturers is indeed unmatched by new brands.

(Image source: Lei Technology)

However, in the view of Lei Technology, the current AI glasses are still in the early stage of development. Only when the multi - modal interaction technology is truly mature can AI glasses exert their real strength.

AR Glasses are Evolving Rapidly, while Vision - like Head - mounted Displays are Plummeting

In the field of AR glasses, with the efforts of various manufacturers, they have gradually developed their own characteristics from the early "players" that could only play videos using external resources. For example, Rokid Glasses launched by Rokid not only achieve practical functions such as intelligent cueing, real - time translation display, and navigation, but these are also functions that other forms of AI glasses cannot achieve. Secondly, Rokid Glasses can not only "listen" and "speak" but also "shoot" and "see." It is not just a camera on the head but a portable all - day AI.

Lei Technology's evaluation after experiencing Rokid Glasses is that it is an "external brain." It exists not to showcase technology but to save effort, improve efficiency, and even expand capabilities in various details of work, life, and entertainment.

(Image source: Lei Technology)

Another example is the X3 Pro launched by TCL Thunderbird, which has come up with new ways of interaction. It supports four different operation methods, including Apple Watch control, five - dimensional navigation on the temples, voice commands, and smartphone control, making it convenient for users to activate and use in any situation. It can even provide users with intelligent responses at any time based on the multi - modal large - model developed exclusively by Tongyi.

The performance of the high - end MR hybrid head - mounted displays is a bit disappointing. The latest industry data cited by Sina Finance shows that the retail volume of consumer - grade VR/MR devices in China in the first half of 2025 plummeted by 25.6% year - on - year. The main reasons are the lack of ecological content, average wearing comfort, and high prices.

Different from AI and AR glasses, MR head - mounted displays have higher requirements for screens, processors, and materials. Take the newly released vivo Vision Explorer Edition as an example. It is equipped with a Micro - OLED binocular 8K high - color screen, the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 platform, and a lighter and more durable magnesium - aluminum alloy material. Naturally, its price is several times that of ordinary smart glasses. Coupled with more limited usage scenarios, it is reasonable that its sales are continuously declining.

(Image source: Lei Technology)

However, the role of MR head - mounted displays is not limited to entertainment. They will be deeply integrated with smart devices such as mobile phones and robots, evolving from "toys" in the hands of a few enthusiasts to "necessities" for thousands of households. vivo is trying to completely break through the interaction barriers between humans and smart devices through MR technology, and build a future digital life ecosystem centered on user needs, with in - depth integration of hardware and content. Its ambition is far more than just selling a few head - mounted displays.

Of course, for MR head - mounted display devices to become mainstream, more efforts need to be made in the content ecosystem. As more and more manufacturers enter the market, it will definitely bring in more developers, and their application scenarios will expand from games and education to industry and office, penetrating from entertainment to productivity tools.

Is Price the Biggest Obstacle to the Popularization of Smart Glasses?

Of course, in the view of Lei Technology, the explosion of smart glasses can be attributed to the decline in price and cost and the gradual improvement of the supply chain.

It should be noted that a few years ago, the starting price of ordinary smart glasses was three or four thousand yuan, which discouraged ordinary consumers. But now, the basic - model smart glasses only cost a few hundred yuan, the daily - use models cost more than a thousand yuan, and the more feature - rich waveguide models can be bought for two or three thousand yuan. Coupled with national subsidy policies and various full - reduction activities on e - commerce platforms, consumers can buy smart glasses at more affordable prices.

The decline in price has given more people the opportunity to experience the convenience and fun brought by smart glasses, and at the same time, accelerated its popularization in the market.

(Image source: Xiaomi official)

It is not difficult to guess that with the continuous development of smart glasses' software and hardware technologies and the continuous decline in product prices, the smart glasses market is expected to continue to maintain a high - speed growth trend in the future. Especially in the Chinese market, with the active layout of local manufacturers and the increasing awareness of consumers, smart glasses are expected to become another important personal technology device after smartphones and smart watches.

AI glasses are widely used in multiple fields due to their powerful AI interaction functions; AR glasses are shining in the consumer entertainment field through technological upgrades; XR glasses show great development potential due to their integration characteristics. The future development direction of the smart glasses market will be diversified, and different types of smart glasses products will continue to deepen their development in their respective fields of expertise.

Conclusion

Although the smart glasses market has achieved remarkable development, it still faces some challenges. In terms of technology, although technologies such as AI and AR have made progress, the battery life, wearing comfort, and data processing capabilities of smart glasses still need to be further improved.

In terms of category awareness, as a new type of smart wearable device, the market awareness and acceptance of smart glasses still need to be further improved. Users need more understanding and experience of the functions and values of smart glasses.

In terms of industry regulations, the smart glasses industry also needs to establish a more complete standard and after - sales system. A friend of mine around Lei bought a pair of smart glasses from a certain brand and was refused warranty for various reasons, which made him completely lose interest in smart glasses. Therefore, while smart glasses manufacturers make good products, they also need to protect consumers' rights and interests to promote the healthy development of the market.

Lei believes that manufacturers will also improve the market awareness and acceptance of smart glasses by continuously optimizing product design and strengthening market promotion.

The establishment and improvement of industry regulations will provide strong support for the long - term and stable development of the smart glasses market.

It can be predicted that in the future, smart glasses will gradually become an indispensable smart device in people's lives. Like smartphones, they will penetrate into all aspects of people's lives, bringing a more convenient, efficient, and intelligent life experience. The future of the smart glasses market is full of infinite possibilities and is worthy of our continuous attention and expectation.

This article is from "Lei Technology" and is published by 36Kr with authorization.