The global smart glasses market experienced a robust growth trend, with shipments reaching 4.065 million units in the first half of 2025, marking a year-on-year increase of 64.2%. According to IDC, this growth can be attributed to advancements in AI technology, supply chain optimization, optical solution development, and the involvement of major players in ecosystem construction. As product innovation and application scenarios continue to expand, smart glasses are projected to become the next generation of human-computer interaction interfaces, driving new growth momentum in the consumer electronics market. IDC forecasts that global smart glasses shipments will exceed 40 million units by 2029, with the Chinese market steadily increasing its share. The five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2024 to 2029 is estimated to reach 55.6%, the highest growth rate globally.
In the first half of 2025, Chinese smart glasses manufacturers shipped over 1 million units, capturing 26.6% of the global market share, also reflecting a year-on-year growth of 64.2%. Despite international brands maintaining significant standing in the consumer market, Chinese firms have carved out a crucial niche through aggressive marketing and channel expansion strategies. The comprehensive advantages of China's supply chain—from optical modules and sensors to final assembly—have provided solid support for brands venturing overseas. Currently, Chinese manufacturers are strengthening their local partnerships and diversifying their channels to consolidate their domestic market presence while accelerating expansion into North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, thereby enhancing their global influence.
The competitive landscape is intense as the smart glasses market approaches a pivotal restructuring phase. The current market exhibits a multi-layered competitive dynamic, with tech giants following comprehensive ecosystem strategies and tech companies innovating in niche segments. As more players enter the market in the second half of the year, the competitive landscape is set to intensify further.
Audio and audio-capturing glasses: In the first half of 2025, global shipments of audio and audio-capturing glasses surpassed 2.4 million units, with audio glasses remaining the core category driving market growth. The introduction of audio-capturing glasses has contributed additional momentum to the market. Currently, Meta dominates the global market, leveraging its collaboration with Oakley to penetrate verticals such as sports and health. The launch of Xiaomi's
The second half of the year is expected to bring substantial changes in the domestic manufacturing landscape, with several companies represented by ByteDance,
Extended Reality (ER) glasses: The global ER glasses market saw a shipment growth rate rebound to an impressive 95.2% in the first half of 2025. As the most mainstream product type within display-enabled smart glasses, the market is gradually establishing a clear dual-development path with the emergence of lightweight products.
Bifocal full-color glasses, primarily projection glasses, dominate the current market. Chinese manufacturers hold over 97% of global shipment shares, with leading companies like Xreal, Thunderbird, and Viture rapidly expanding into the European and American markets, achieving rapid scale growth. Concurrently, channel development in the domestic market continues to strengthen, with Rokid establishing direct retail stores and building a retail system, while brands such as Thunderbird and Meizu enhance collaboration with traditional optical channels to boost offline penetration rates.
Non-bifocal full-color glasses cover various forms, including monocular single green, binocular single green, and single monocular color, with manufacturers consistently advancing towards lightweight equipment through structural optimization and material innovation. In the global market, Chinese firms Yiwentech, Yingshi Technology, and Meizu together account for over 65% of the market share. Yiwentech focuses on monocular monochrome products, establishing a stable user base in the European and American markets, while Yingshi Technology specializes in monochrome integrated machines, presenting differentiated advantages in hardware integration and system levels.
As we approach the second half, the market landscape is poised for transformation with the impending launches of new products like Meta Ray-Ban Display, Rokid Glasses, and Quark Glasses.
Augmented Reality (AR) glasses: Currently, the global AR glasses market finds itself in an exploratory phase, with Chinese manufacturers leveraging consumer-level products and technological iteration to secure early advantages. In the first half of 2025, global AR market shipments witnessed a year-on-year growth of 1.3%, with China containing a 57.3% market share. Though the overall market size remains limited, domestic companies such as Yingshi Technology, Thunderbird, Xreal, and Lele Vision are establishing competitive edges across various segments. With continuous breakthroughs in key technologies such as micro-display, AR glasses are accelerating their evolution towards becoming lighter and more fashionable.
Moving forward, as more major players enter the industry, the ability of Chinese companies to translate their current first-mover advantage into sustainable technological and ecological barriers will be crucial in determining their competitive position in the global market.
Mixed Reality (MR) headsets: The global MR headset market is currently experiencing a period of adjustment due to a year-on-year decline in shipments, primarily influenced by the update schedule of Meta products, highlighting a lack of compelling products to stimulate consumer growth. The Chinese market also faces sales pressure. Consequently, local manufacturers are actively seeking development paths by expanding into the commercial sector, with leading firm Pico successfully scaling projects in medium to large spaces. Meanwhile, split-type MR categories, which offer lightweight wearing experiences and more competitive pricing, are emerging as noteworthy market opportunities, with manufacturers like vivo and Apple expected to officially launch products in this category in the future.
Virtual Reality (VR) headsets: The global VR headset market is exhibiting regional disparities in development trajectories. The shipment volume in overseas markets experienced significant declines in the first half of the year, affected by Sony's suspension of product shipments, indirectly extending more influence and opportunity space for Chinese manufacturers. Within the Chinese VR market, shipments to the business sector exceed 50%, becoming a significant pillar of the industry. Manufacturers such as HTC, DPVR, and Pico Technology are expanding their footprint across various fields, including large space, education, military, tourism, and industrial simulation, while seeking new growth opportunities overseas.
Moreover, facing growth pressures in the consumer sector, firms like DPVR and HTC are stabilizing their VR commercial businesses while beginning to develop lightweight eyewear product lines to capture a broader user market. Currently, the industry shows a differentiated layout, with most manufacturers still focusing on a single segment. Tech-oriented companies are concentrating on building competitive advantages in niche markets through technological innovation, while Internet and hardware firms tend to gradually expand their product lines once their business models mature, in order to mitigate risks.
Looking ahead, as the costs of key components decline, and display and interaction technologies mature alongside clearer application scenarios, it is anticipated that more manufacturers will diversify their product lines to fully capitalize on market opportunities. IDC's China market analyst Ye Qingqing believes that although smart glasses currently face several challenges, the influx of various forces in the second half of the year will propel the industry from hardware competition to comprehensive competition involving hardware, ecosystems, and channels. The market will further segment, with each vertical segment competing fiercely based on its unique advantages, collectively guiding the industry towards a more mature and healthier phase of value competition.