Key Points
- The AI glasses market is maturing rapidly, with upstream supply chain companies entering batch order delivery phases.
- Functionality is expanding to include object recognition, real-time translation, teleprompter captions, and more.
- Global AI glasses sales are experiencing explosive growth: 1.52 million units in 2024, 600,000 units in Q1 2025 (a 216% year-on-year increase), and projected full-year 2025 sales of 5.5 million units.
- Innovation focuses on upgrading optical displays, optimizing interaction methods (gesture/voice), and enhancing AI capabilities (audiovisual translation, AI tour guides).
- Key supply chain players like BIWIN Storage (佰维存储), Shenzhen Zecheng Electronics (深圳市则成电子股份有限公司), and Lens Technology (蓝思科技股份有限公司) are seeing significant growth driven by AI glasses demand, with BIWIN Storage projecting over 500% growth in its AI glasses business in 2025.
The buzz around AI glasses is hitting a fever pitch, and for good reason.
As a pivotal application for AI (Rengongzhineng 人工智能) technology, these smart wearables are not just a futuristic concept anymore—they’re here, and the market is set to explode.
Heavy hitters and nimble startups, both domestically and internationally, are jumping into the ring, eager to claim their slice of this burgeoning market.
Product development is moving at lightning speed, and everyone’s watching.
Yuan Shuai (袁帅), Deputy Secretary-General of the Zhongguancun IoT Industry Alliance (Zhongguancun Hulianwang Chanye Lianmeng 中关村物联网产业联盟), recently shared his take with Securities Daily (Zhengquan Ribao 证券日报) reporters.
He highlighted that AI glasses are no longer niche gadgets; they’re steadily capturing public attention as emerging smart wearable devices.
With each new product launch, we’re seeing an influx of innovative functions.
Even more telling? Upstream companies in the supply chain are now hitting the crucial stage of batch order delivery, signaling a significant market maturation.
AI Glasses: Functionality is Evolving at Breakneck Speed
The innovation pipeline for AI glasses is wide open.
Just recently, Hangzhou Rokid Technology Co., Ltd. (Lingban Keji 灵伴科技) announced a June launch for its highly anticipated AI glasses product, Rokid Glasses.
This isn’t an isolated event; multiple upstream supply chain players are confirming that their related components and products have entered the batch delivery phase.
This synchronized movement from component suppliers to product launchers underscores the readiness of the AI glasses ecosystem.
So, what can these sleek devices actually do?
Current AI glasses models are packed with features, including:
- Object recognition
- Teleprompter captions (a game-changer for public speaking)
- Real-time translation
- Photography
- Recording
- Video recording
- Making calls
- Listening to music
Let’s look at some examples:
- Thunder V3 AI Photography Glasses from Thunder Innovation Technologies (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Leiniao Chuangxin Jishu (Shenzhen) Youxiangongsi 雷鸟创新技术（深圳）有限公司) officially hit the market in January this year.
- Rokid Glasses, independently developed by Rokid (Lingban Keji 灵伴科技), created a huge buzz online for its teleprompter function when showcased at the Yuhang District Economic High-Quality Development Conference in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, back in February.
- Overseas, Meta Platforms, Inc.’s Ray-Ban Meta glasses rolled out its real-time translation feature to users in April, further expanding the practical applications of AI glasses.
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The Numbers Don’t Lie: Explosive Market Growth for AI Glasses
The data on AI glasses speaks volumes about their rapid market expansion.
Research from Wellsenn XR (Weishen WellsennXR 维深WellsennXR) paints a clear picture:
- Global AI glasses sales hit 1.52 million units in 2024.
- In the first quarter of 2025 alone, sales reached 600,000 units.
- That’s a staggering year-on-year increase of 216% for Q1!
- Full-year sales for 2025 are projected to be around 5.5 million units.
Such explosive growth, especially the Q1 2025 surge, suggests that early adoption is quickly turning into mainstream interest, fueled by enhanced functionality and broader availability.
Expert Insights: Where is AI Glasses Innovation Headed?
Guo Tao (郭涛), Deputy Director of the China E-commerce Expert Service Center (Zhongguo Dianzi Shangwu Zhuanjia Fuwu Zhongxin 中国电子商务专家服务中心), provided his insights to Securities Daily reporters.
“Current functional innovation for AI glasses primarily focuses on three directions,” he stated.
- Upgrading Optical Display: Enhancing the visual experience is paramount. Think clearer, brighter, and more immersive displays.
- Optimizing Interaction Methods: Moving beyond basic controls. The future is a seamless blend of gesture and voice control.
- Enhancing AI Capabilities: This is where the “smart” in smart glasses gets supercharged. We’re talking advanced audiovisual translation and even AI tour guide functions.
But it’s not just about packing in more features.
Lin Xianping (林 Xianping 林先平), Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the China Urban Expert Think Tank Committee (Zhongguo Chengshi Zhuanjia Zhiku Weiyuanhui 中国城市专家智库委员会), emphasized the importance of design and comfort.
“AI glasses have extremely high lightweight requirements,” Lin told Securities Daily.
“However, to ‘reduce the burden’ on glasses, it’s not only about making the lenses lighter and thinner but also promoting the lightweighting of every internal component.”
This focus on lightweighting is critical for user adoption – if they’re not comfortable, they won’t be worn.
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The Supply Chain Powers Up: Listed Companies Dive In
The backbone of the AI glasses revolution lies in its sophisticated supply chain.
Core segments like optical display systems, storage chips, batteries, and printed circuit boards (PCBs) are attracting significant investment and participation from numerous A-share listed companies.
Several of these companies have recently announced major progress in their AI glasses businesses, with some already reaching the coveted batch delivery stage.
This signals a robust and maturing ecosystem ready to support the projected market boom.
- Upgrading Optical Display (Clearer, Brighter, Immersive)
- Optimizing Interaction Methods (Gesture/Voice Control)
- Enhancing AI Capabilities (Audiovisual translation, AI Tour Guides)
Spotlight on Key Supply Chain Players:
Shenzhen BIWIN Storage Technology Co., Ltd. (Baiwei Cunzhu 佰维存储): Powering AI Glasses with Advanced Storage
AI glasses demand storage chips that are compact, power-efficient, and highly reliable.
BIWIN Storage (Baiwei Cunzhu 佰维存储) is stepping up to this challenge, deepening its collaboration with key industry players like Meta.
A representative from BIWIN Storage (Baiwei Cunzhu 佰维存储) revealed some impressive figures:
- Starting from the second quarter of 2025, the company’s high-value storage products for AI glasses will begin batch delivery.
- In 2024, revenue from their AI glasses business was approximately ¥106 million RMB ($15,142,857 USD).
- For 2025, they anticipate a jaw-dropping year-on-year growth of over 500% in this segment.
As a major supplier, BIWIN Storage (Baiwei Cunzhu 佰维存储) is well-positioned to ride the wave of industry development, and their growth forecast is a strong positive signal for the entire AI glasses market.
- Batch delivery of high-value storage products starts Q2 2025.
- 2024 Revenue: ¥106 million RMB ($15.14 million USD).
- Anticipated growth in 2025 AI Glasses business: >500% year-on-year.
Shenzhen Zecheng Electronics Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen Zecheng Dianzi Gufen Youxiangongsi 深圳市则成电子股份有限公司): Flexible Solutions for Smart Designs
Specializing in flexible application electronic modules and printed circuit boards, Shenzhen Zecheng Electronics (Shenzhen Zecheng Dianzi Gufen Youxiangongsi 深圳市则成电子股份有限公司) is another crucial link in the chain.
The company commenced batch shipments of soft board products specifically for AI glasses in the fourth quarter of 2024.
It’s understood that the increase in sales revenue for the company in the first quarter of 2025 was partly fueled by this burgeoning soft board product business for AI glasses.
This highlights the immediate impact AI glasses demand is having on specialized component manufacturers.
Lens Technology (Lansi Keji Gufen Youxiangongsi 蓝思科技股份有限公司): Advancing Optics and Materials
Lens Technology (Lansi Keji Gufen Youxiangongsi 蓝思科技股份有限公司) is a key contributor, developing and producing appearance parts, structural parts, and optical lenses.
These components have already been integrated into several high-end AI glasses and head-mounted displays.
A standout innovation is their independently developed nano-crystalline glass technology.
This tech enhances both the drop resistance and light transmittance of lenses, enabling lighter and higher-quality display solutions – crucial for the user experience of AI glasses products.
Lens Technology (Lansi Keji Gufen Youxiangongsi 蓝思科技股份有限公司) stated that with the continuous rise in AI glasses penetration, their early strategic investments in this field are poised to become a significant new growth engine for the company.
The Future is Bright for AI Glasses Adoption
Guo Tao (郭涛) also commented on the strategic positioning of domestic companies:
“Domestic companies with leading technical levels in various links of the AI glasses industry chain will fully leverage their advantages to ensure shipments based on the demands of leading global and domestic customers.”
“At the same time, these companies are also expected to seize the development opportunity presented by this round of AI glasses growth.”
The convergence of advancing technology, increasing consumer interest, and a rapidly scaling supply chain paints a very promising picture.
From enhanced productivity to immersive entertainment to seamless communication, the applications are vast.
With batch orders shipping and innovation accelerating, the era of AI glasses is well and truly underway, promising a significant shift in how we interact with technology and the world around us.
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