After Ray-Ban partnered with Meta to launch a line of smart glasses, Chinese technology companies are stepping up the race to offer similar products, at much more competitive prices.
The race to enter the AI glasses market
The strong development of generative AI in recent years has brought smart glasses a significant step forward in intelligence, attracting the attention of consumers.
Smart glasses are now more than just visual aids, they also allow users to query information about their surroundings and engage in conversations that are automatically translated in real time.
Ray-Ban and Meta have been the biggest beneficiaries of this trend, after adding AI capabilities to their camera-equipped smart glasses last year.
The new version of Ray-Ban glasses is said to have sold better than previous versions, in just the first few months of launch, with global smart glasses shipments expected to reach 2 million units by the end of the year. Meanwhile, total global shipments of augmented reality glasses only reached 480,000 units last year.
Challenges and opportunities for Chinese companies
Competitors in China are looking to offer the same features as Ray-Ban glasses, but at a lower cost. Superhexa's Jiehuan glasses have a music playback time of up to 11 hours and a standby time of up to half a month, while weighing only 30 grams.
This product also integrates features such as voice navigation, AI chat, and audio translation. However, some customers who have tested these glasses and shared on social networks that the product has difficulty recognizing voices in noisy environments.
Not only Superhexa, other companies such as Liweike and Sharge have also launched their own lines of AI glasses this year. Technology giants like Huawei are also not out of this game.
However, according to analysis by Ivan Lam, senior analyst at market consulting company Counterpoint, current AI glasses are still mainly the same as regular glasses equipped with speakers, cameras and AI. Manufacturers need to improve weight, wearing experience and battery life to continue to attract users.
Some companies have focused on style and light weight in their product designs. Solos, a Hong Kong-based company, plans to compete directly with Ray-Ban and Meta with its new AirGo line of smart glasses with built-in cameras.
This pair of glasses will weigh 30 grams, cheaper than Ray-Ban glasses, but still maintain a similar price. Even Realities, a Shenzhen-based startup, has also launched G1 glasses with a compact design and a tiny LED screen.
