Apple is exploring entering the smart glasses market and is internally researching related products on the market. According to people familiar with the matter, Apple launched an initiative code-named Atlas last week, which involves collecting feedback from Apple employees on smart glasses. Relevant research was led by Apple Product System Quality (APSQ) team.
Last year, Meta teamed up with Ray-Ban to launch the AI+ glasses product Ray-Ban Meta, which sold well in overseas markets. Since its launch, it has sold more than one million units worldwide.
Domestic and foreign companies have also followed suit. In China, mobile phone manufacturers such as OPPO, Meizu, and Xiaomi have invested in the development of all-in-one AI glasses. It is reported that Apple has also "entered the game", which means that new products of this type are expected to continue to emerge.
In addition to being used in audio-visual entertainment, consumer office and other scenarios, AI glasses are also realizing their commercial value in high-precision industrial manufacturing, medical and other fields.
Qunzhi Consulting pointed out that global AR device shipments will increase from an estimated 800,000 units in 2024 to 12.1 million units in 2029, of which 2027 is expected to usher in the industry's "singularity" - AI glasses will further develop into smart glasses. AR glasses with a complete optical-mechanical system will stimulate the accelerated growth of the global AR market.
The Burgess smart glasses market research report shows that the global smart glasses market is expected to reach 106.778 billion yuan by 2029, with an average annual compound growth rate of 18.56% during the period.
Looking forward to the market outlook, Everbright Securities analyzed that as a leap from "hearing" to "seeing", AI glasses have evolved into a new "hot item" in smart hardware in the consumer electronics industry. Behind this is the industrial chain of precision components such as acoustics, optics, sensors, microelectronics, and structural parts, which have once again "gathered" after smart watches and smart headphones. As AI technology continues to mature and hardware costs decrease, AI glasses, as a low-cost, high-efficiency wearable device, have huge market potential, and shipments are expected to grow rapidly.
Specific to the A-share market, AI smart glasses are currently recognized as "the most cost-effective AI hardware implementation solution" and have huge potential. As the display unit is added to AI smart glasses, model capabilities continue to iterate. In the future, AI+AR glasses are expected to increase in volume to the consumer level. Relevant agencies expect that the AI glasses industry is expected to achieve shipments of one million units in the short term and challenge the shipment of tens of millions of units in the medium term. , the sector may usher in opportunities for both profit and valuation to rise.