Chinese e-commerce giant, Alibaba, has finally made an official entry into the smart eyewear market by announcing its new Quark AI glasses. The company showcased the product at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai. These glasses are designed to be compatible with Alibaba's expanding AI ecosystem.
The smart glasses are able to translate in real time, make hands-free payments, scan products, and provide turn-by-turn navigation. You can scan QR codes to pay for things on Alipay, compare the prices on Taobao, or get around using Amap. They feature music playback, live transcription, hands-free calls, and an integrated camera.
This is the first major step of Alibaba into AI wearables. Local players like Xreal and Rokid have already had comparable products. Global brands like Meta are also competing with smart glasses, like the Ray-Ban Meta.
Alibaba is using its own AI models, apps, and platforms to power the glasses. Quark AI glasses are built around Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 chip, which was designed for augmented reality. A second chip with low power handles lighter jobs. The glasses are also powered by Android and RTOS (Real-Time Operating System).
The appearance of the design has also been upgraded. The glasses have arms 40% thinner than the usual ones. The frames are lightweight, making them suitable for daily use.
The price and launch date have not been confirmed, but Alibaba said the product is ready for market and will be sold in China by the end of 2025.
Alibaba also teamed up earlier this year with RayNeo, an AR glasses manufacturer. This partnership also allows for more wearable devices to utilize Alibaba's AI tools.
The glasses will be powered by Alibaba's artificial intelligence assistant Quark, which has evolved from a simple app into a full assistant that operates much like ChatGPT or Google Gemini. Alibaba is also betting big on AI, with plans of investing $53 billion in AI infrastructure over three years.
