China’s AI glasses go mainstream as shipments surge — but hardware wins don’t equal instant dominance

Market momentum and consumer buzz

China’s AI glasses market has moved from a geek niche to mainstream momentum. Industry data from Omdia shows global AI‑glasses shipments jumped to 8.7 million units in 2025, a 322% year‑on‑year rise, with mainland China accounting for roughly 10.9% — nearly one million units — making it the world’s second‑largest market after the United States. Shows like CES, MWC and AWE turned wearable AR into a headline experience; startups and established players from Rokid (若琪) and INMO (影目) to Alibaba (阿里巴巴) — via its Qianwen (千问) project — have pushed products into retail and gift markets, with some vendors reporting steep month‑on‑month sales gains. Even novel integrations, reportedly including a popular assistant feature nicknamed “Longxia” (龙虾), are being touted as ways to free users from constant phone‑checking.

Supply chain, capital and geopolitics

A big reason for the leap: upstream supply chains are catching up. Waveguide, optics and module suppliers are iterating quickly — and global suppliers are localising capacity. German materials group Schott (肖特集团) has announced a Suzhou AR tech centre expansion, aiming to deepen onshore support for optical components. It has been reported that investors have put more than ¥1 billion into the sector so far this year, funding a raft of rounds for brands such as Rokid, INMO, XREAL and others. That capital matters because hardware remains a systems problem — chips, thermal design, battery life and displays — and geopolitical headwinds, including U.S. export controls on advanced semiconductors, make onshore supply and localised partnerships strategically important.

Hurdles and the road ahead

But triumphal headlines hide persistent frictions. Returns and user dissatisfaction remain notable; many early devices still rely on phone compute, and software and interaction models are judged immature. Some major players have paused commercialization efforts — reportedly vivo and certain ByteDance‑linked projects are delaying launches — even as others press forward. Omdia now projects global shipments could top 15 million in 2026, but industry voices warn that scale alone won’t clinch the next platform. “Ecosystem integration will be the key differentiator,” Omdia research director Jason Low said — the winners will be those who stitch glasses into broader device, home and service ecosystems.

Where does that leave China? The country holds an early advantage in manufacturing depth and a large domestic market willing to trial new form factors. But turning momentum into a true “super device” like the smartphone will require better software, longer battery life and lower weight — and probably years of iterating hardware‑software combinations. Can AI glasses bridge that gap? The supply chain is ready to race. Whether the ecosystems and experiences can keep up is the question that will decide who wins the next decade.