Alibaba takes off with AI glasses – Company calls it a "revolution in human-machine interaction
Alibaba is pushing into one of the most exciting technology markets of the AI era. With the new "Quark AI Glasses," the Chinese corporation introduces its first own AI glasses - and announces nothing less than a revolution. The competitive pressure is immense, but Alibaba's ecosystem provides the company with a crucial starting advantage.
Alibaba's Entry into AI Wearables – Two Models, One Ambitious Goal
At a presentation in China, Alibaba unveiled its first smart glasses: the Quark AI Glasses, named after the company's in-house AI assistant. Vice President Wu Jia even spoke of a "revolution in human-machine interaction in the AI age" – comparable to the introduction of the smartphone.
The product range includes two series:
- S1 (Premium-Modell) ab 3.799 Yuan, etwa 540 US-Dollar
- G1 (Leichtmodell) für rund 270 US-Dollar
Both models come in three variants each. The S1 model relies on a dual-chip design with Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 processor and is intended to provide hands-free support to users in everyday life, from navigation to real-time translation to payment functions.
The more affordable G1 model is significantly lighter and mainly differs in the display, but uses the same core hardware.
Competition for Meta, Xiaomi, and Rokid
With the market launch, Alibaba enters a highly competitive market segment. The main competitors:
- Meta mit der neuen Ray-Ban-Smart-Brille
- Xiaomi mit eigenen AR-Brillen
- Rokid, einer der führenden chinesischen Anbieter
The first previews in the summer had already generated high attention in China. Pre-orders started in October via Taobao, JD.com, and Douyin. Whether and when the AI glasses will be released internationally remains open.
A growth market explodes – and Alibaba wants to get involved
The market for smart glasses is taking off. According to Counterpoint Research, global shipments more than doubled in the first half of 2025, driven particularly by Meta and new Chinese models.
For Alibaba, a strategic field opens up here:
- KI-Wearables gelten als nächste mögliche Plattform nach dem Smartphone
- Alibabas Ökosystem (E-Commerce, Zahlungsdienste, Cloud, KI-Modelle) bietet enorme Integrationspotenziale
- Die Quark AI Glasses können nahtlos an bestehende Alibaba-Dienste andocken – ein Vorteil, den westliche Konkurrenten nicht ohne Weiteres nachbilden können
Alibaba accelerates
With the introduction of the Quark AI Glasses, Alibaba is entering a growth market that is just beginning to define its role in the AI era. The ambitious positioning, strong price differentiation, and integration into the Alibaba ecosystem could ensure that the Chinese tech giant becomes a serious competitor to Meta and others.
An international expansion remains to be seen – but one thing is clear: Alibaba does not want to be a spectator in the next generation of devices, but a pacemaker.
