Alibaba launches $500 AI glasses designed to rival Meta’s wearables

Alibaba has officially stepped into the high-stakes smart eyewear race, unveiling $500 AI-powered glasses aimed directly at challenging Meta and its growing wearables business.

The new Quark AI Glasses, which went on sale in China on Thursday, mark Alibaba’s most aggressive push yet into consumer-facing artificial intelligence (AI).

In two models, the S1 and the lower-priced G1, Alibaba integrates its Qwen AI system, allowing users to control the device through voice commands, translate conversations on the go, and even generate instant meeting notes.

The glasses feature display-enabled lenses and a built-in camera capable of identifying products and linking users to prices on Taobao.

The move positions Alibaba directly against Meta, which introduced its $799 Ray-Ban Display glasses in September.

While Meta is promoting gesture-controlled displays, Alibaba is betting on affordability and deep integration with its ecosystem to win early adopters.

The global smart glasses market remains small but is expected to double by 2026, creating a lucrative opening for new players.

For Alibaba, the launch reinforces its ambition to dominate China’s consumer AI segment while sparring with giants like Meta for the next era of personal tech.