Chinese technology giant Alibaba (BABA) has launched new artificial intelligence-powered (A.I.) smart glasses in a direct challenge to Meta Platforms (META).
The Quark AI Glasses, first announced in July of this year, come in two variants, with the more advanced version selling for $536 U.S.
Alibaba is launching the smart glasses as it pushes deeper into the consumer A.I. market with new devices.
The Chinese technology concern has integrated its Qwen A.I. model, its version of ChatGPT, into the glasses which link to an app.
Users control the smart glasses and get them to carry out tasks with their voice. Alibaba’s smart glasses will initially go on sale in China only before expanding globally in 2026.
The lenses of the glasses are effectively screens and the device has a camera built into the frame. The main difference between the two versions is the display size, says Alibaba.
The new smart glasses from Alibaba are seen as a competitive threat to Meta Platforms, which launched its $799 U.S. Meta Ray-Ban display glasses in September of this year.
Meta is betting that smart glasses will be the next big consumer device after smartphones.
The main difference with Meta Platforms’ smart glasses is that they are controlled via hand gestures using a special wristband that users wear rather than with voice commands.
Meta has said that its Ray-Ban display glasses include on-the-go translation, AI-generated meeting notes, and the ability to ask a virtual assistant questions.
The smart glasses market is still small but growing. By 2026, shipments of A.I. glasses are expected to exceed more than 10 million units, doubling the number shipped this year.
BABA stock has risen 86% this year to trade at $157.60 U.S. per share.
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