Xiaomi's highly anticipated launch of its AI Smart Glasses marks a significant step towards the era of smart glasses, but several key thresholds remain before we witness the true 'era of popularization.' Only through the competitive 'Hundred Glasses War' can we hope to identify the 'smartphone moment' in the realm of smart glasses!

Author/Zhenmu

Produced by/Xinzhai Finance

The excitement generated by Xiaomi's recent 'Human-Vehicle-Home Ecosystem Conference' shows no signs of abating, with Yu7 orders extending into the middle of next year.

Beyond Yu7, Xiaomi's AI Smart Glasses, priced starting at 1999 yuan, emerged as another standout at the conference.

Consumers have already received their devices, and reviews are mixed. Some praise the glasses for their cost-effectiveness, from appearance to core functions, while others raise concerns about privacy and security.

In terms of advantages, AI products must offer intelligence, convenience, interactivity, and security. For AI smart glasses, users may prioritize features like large model recognition, translation, and QR code payment. Xiaomi has addressed these needs.

However, some users believe that the glasses' lightweight design necessitates a smaller battery, leading to battery life anxiety. Others wonder if the popularization of AI glasses heralds the 'naked era,' where surreptitious filming becomes more prevalent.

Currently, Xiaomi's flagship store on JD.com reports sales exceeding 10,000 pairs, with over 4,000 sold on Tmall and over 5,500 on Xiaomi's digital flagship store on Douyin. Xiaomi's AI glasses may have sold nearly 50,000 units in just three days, setting a record for the fastest sales speed of AI smart glasses in China. As of July 2 at 14:00, Xiaomi's AI Smart Glasses topped the best-selling list of XR devices.

I. Have Xiaomi Glasses Reached the Price Bottom? Is the Inflection Point Here?

With the emergence and increasing popularity of Deepseek, the AI industry has reached new heights this year.

Lei Jun's philosophy, 'Technology serves the people,' is evident in Xiaomi's AI Smart Glasses, priced at a competitive 1999 yuan, compared to Ray-Ban Meta's 299 USD. Netizens exclaim, 'Xiaomi is shaking things up again!'

Xiaomi's pricing strategy may mark a crucial turning point for AI glasses, shifting from luxury items to mass-market consumer goods. As mentioned at the conference, these glasses are positioned as 'personal intelligent devices for the next era,' potentially becoming the first choice for young consumers today.

Xiaomi achieved this price point by compressing costs across various components, using domestic Micro-OLED screens instead of Sony screens, relying on mobile phone screen projection for computing power, and employing public mold design. This brought basic AI functionality within the 2000 yuan range for the first time.

At 1999 yuan, AI smart glasses can attract tech-savvy consumers, encouraging trial and transition from novelty to regular use.

Moreover, Xiaomi's entry may accelerate domestic mobile phone manufacturers' involvement in the smart glasses industry.

Huawei officially launched its HarmonyOS smart glasses in 2021, supporting real-time interconnection with mobile phones and tablets. However, chip shortages continue to hamper Huawei's efforts.

The mainstream chip solution for high-end AI smart glasses is Qualcomm's AR1 chip, with over 80% market share, capable of handling intensive AI demands.

Apple's first AI glasses are rumored to release in Q2 2027, with annual shipments of 3-5 million units.

According to WellsennXR data, global AI smart glasses sales (excluding XR fusion products) have surged, from 210,000 pairs in 2023 to an expected 4 million pairs in 2025, beginning to penetrate the traditional glasses market. By 2030, with technological maturity, smart glasses will accelerate their penetration, with a penetration rate nearing 5% and exceeding 70% by 2035, potentially replacing smartphones as the next universal intelligent terminal.

The industry believes that mobile phone manufacturers, such as Xiaomi and Huawei, have a higher chance of success due to their capital, supply chain, brand power, and ecosystem advantages.

While their entry may not signify industry maturity, it undoubtedly raises awareness, potentially leading to widespread adoption as more users try and understand AI smart glasses.

II. Who Will Be the Final Winner of the 'Hundred Glasses War'?

Smart glasses have undergone several rounds of innovation, with technological advancements in AI, miniaturized hardware, and interaction.

The concept of AI smart glasses traces back to Google Glass, introduced at the 2012 Google I/O conference. However, privacy concerns and other issues led to its discontinuation in 2015.

Recent technological advancements and decreased costs have reignited interest in AI smart glasses.

In September 2023, Meta collaborated with Ray-Ban to launch Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, achieving a balance between AI interaction and hardware lightness, with sales exceeding 300,000 units that year.

At CES 2025, over 140 companies showcased nearly 50 AI glasses products, sparking the 'Hundred Glasses War' and pushing domestic AI glasses market heat to new heights.

Currently, the domestic AI glasses market is divided into three tiers, with Thunderbird Innovation leading for three consecutive years.

According to RUNTO's 2024 China XR Market Sales Data Annual Report, Thunderbird Innovation held a 35.6% market share in the Chinese consumer market, marking the third consecutive year as the leader in China's consumer-grade AR market.

Thunderbird Innovation has established R&D and manufacturing headquarters in the Yangtze River Delta, focusing on cutting-edge technologies like full-color MicroLED, SLAM, and large models, forming competitive barriers.

While the 'Hundred Glasses War' rages on, AI glasses manufacturers must continue to build a solid foundation for future advancements.

Starrealme and Baidu are leading the charge in applying AI smart glasses to real-life scenarios. Starrealme leverages the Geely automotive ecosystem, while Baidu targets the K12 education market, leveraging AI technologies to personalize learning experiences.

Huawei and Xiaomi's entry into the AI smart glasses industry enhances the seamless interaction between mobile phones and glasses, providing a smooth user experience.

According to Sigmaintell forecasts, the global AI smart glasses market size will reach 5.7 million units in 2025, with a 110% year-on-year growth rate, driven by consumer curiosity.

While new products attract initial interest, sustained sales rely on the product's inherent appeal.

III. Will Smart Glasses Be the Next Generation of 'Mobile Phones'?

In February, Rokid's founder and CEO Zhu Mingming demonstrated the potential of smart glasses at the High-Quality Economic Development Conference in Hangzhou, displaying his speech notes on the glasses and turning pages with a ring, setting a new trend.

RUNTO's online monitoring data shows that smart glasses retail sales (including AR) reached around 300,000 pairs from January to May 2025, with annual sales expected to exceed one million, representing over 130% year-on-year growth.

IDC forecasts global smart glasses shipments to reach 12.05 million units in 2025, with a 18.3% year-on-year growth rate, including 5.47 million units of audio and camera glasses without display functions, growing 101.9% year-on-year.

This year will undoubtedly see a surge in smart glasses popularity, evident from the popularity of Rokid glasses and Xiaomi's AI smart glasses.

Mark Zuckerberg stated at Stripe Sessions 2025 that 'AR glasses are the ultimate carrier of AI, with huge investment potential in the next decade.' He added that 'Glasses are the perfect carrier for AI, allowing it to see, hear, and communicate with you continuously.'

Microsoft also believes that integrating visual processing with large language models can enable AI to understand images, describe visuals, and perform multimodal tasks.

Smart glasses, equipped with displays, headphones, cameras, WiFi, and Bluetooth, offer audio, photography, and wireless communication capabilities, potentially freeing users' hands from mobile phones.

However, challenges like battery life, interaction, and privacy remain to be addressed.

At the supply chain level, optical waveguide solutions face light transmittance and mass production cost issues. The smart glasses main control chip market is dominated by international players like Qualcomm, leaving domestic manufacturers reliant on imported chips.

Battery life is another concern, with capacities typically ranging from 150-450mAh, offering less than 4 hours of high-load usage and significant variations based on usage scenarios and hardware.

Privacy concerns persist, with users fearing constant surveillance. Google Glass faced similar backlash in 2012, leading to its demise in the consumer market.

Meta's updated privacy policy enables camera functionality unless users actively disable it, raising similar privacy concerns.

Xiaomi's AI Smart Glasses address this by illuminating a breathing light when taking photos or videos, ensuring users are aware of the shooting state, mitigating privacy risks.

Nevertheless, a significant number of internet users continue to express apprehension about potential privacy breaches and wonder whether these glasses might incessantly gather data on the user's surroundings and interactions.

As such, in the near term, AI smart glasses must still rely on mobile phones for ecosystem and software development, making it challenging for them to become standalone devices. Furthermore, to enrich their AI + AR technology, they remain dependent on the mobile phone ecosystem. If content is scarce and the interactive experience is poor, users are unlikely to persist in using them once the initial novelty fades.

In conclusion, Xiaomi's high-profile unveiling of its AI Smart Glasses marks a significant step towards the era of smart glasses. However, several crucial hurdles must be overcome before the true 'era of popularization' arrives. Only through the intense competition of the 'Hundred Glasses War' may we witness the emergence of a 'smartphone moment' in the realm of smart glasses!