Omdia: Global AI Smart Glasses Shipments Up 127% to 4.2M in 2026H1
According to research firm Omdia, global AI smart glasses shipments surged 127% year-over-year to reach 4.2 million units in the first half of 2026. Meta dominated the market with an 81.3% share (3.4 million units), followed by Even Realities at 2.4% and Alibaba at 2.1%. The strong growth highlights how lightweight AI wearables are becoming a mainstream consumer interface for ambient computing. Driven by Meta's ecosystem dominance and a booming Chinese market, smart glasses are accelerating the transition toward hands-free multimodal AI interaction. Shipments in China surged 306% year-over-year but remain highly fragmented, with leading brands Alibaba, INMO, and Xiaomi holding a combined share of just 46.1%. Analysts also emphasized that increasing privacy scrutiny over always-on cameras will require manufacturers to clearly communicate data capture policies and guarantee data is never shared with third parties.
## BACKGROUND
AI smart glasses are everyday wearable eyewear equipped with micro-displays, audio components, cameras, and multimodal AI integration. Unlike heavy virtual reality (VR) headsets, they focus on lightweight designs that provide hands-free voice assistance, live translation, and ambient prompts. Market players like Meta, Even Realities, and INMO are defining this emerging sector by merging traditional eyeglasses frames with advanced hardware and cloud AI.