Alibaba debuts its first self developed AI glasses in China
Alibaba has launched a new range of AI eyewear in China. The Quark AI Glasses come in two models -- S1 and G1. There are three styles of the dual display S1 and three versions of the camera focused G1, with different frame colors and lens choices. All models work with Alibaba’s new Qwen App and respond to voice commands or touch controls.
The glasses are designed to act as a hands free gateway to Alibaba’s consumer ecosystem. Powered by Qwen, they can recognize prices, answer questions using text or images, translate speech in real time, guide users with near eye navigation and produce meeting notes. They can also handle reminders, teleprompter functions and context based suggestions.
Integration with services such as Alipay, Amap, Taobao, Fliggy and major Chinese music platforms means the glasses can tie shopping, travel, payments and media into a single experience.
Uniquely powerful AI glasses
“AI glasses are a uniquely powerful wearable as they consist of everything we envision for an AI assistant,” said Wu Jia, Vice President of Alibaba Group. “Looking ahead, AI glasses open the door to a revolutionary way of connecting and interacting with computers in the AI era. With Quark AI Glasses deeply integrated with Qwen, users can access Qwen anytime, anywhere, enabling the AI to connect seamlessly with the real world and deliver value at an unprecedented scale.”
Alibaba says the launch is another step in its plan to bring Qwen into consumer hardware and software.
The growing interest from multiple manufacturers shows how AI enabled eyewear is becoming a genuine product category rather than just a niche experiment like Google Glass turned out to be. Alibaba joins Meta, Vuzix, Rokid, XREAL, TCL and Lenovo, all of whom have previously debuted smart specs.
IDC notes that 136.5 million wearable devices shipped in the second quarter of 2025, a rise of 9.6 percent from the same period last year. China remains by far the largest market, shipping nearly 50 million units driven by strong interest in new device categories.
Pricing for the new Quark AI Glasses S1 start at ¥3,799 (around $537)and are built for all day use. They feature dual micro OLED displays, two chips and bone conduction voice pickup. A swappable dual battery system promises up to 24 hours of use. The S1 can also take 0.6 second photos, record 3K video and produce AI enhanced 4K output using Quark’s Super Raw technology.
The G1 is priced from ¥1,899 ($268) and focuses on lightweight day to day wear. It weighs 40 grams and shares most of the S1’s hardware other than the display.
Alibaba says both models support the MCP protocol so third party developers can build additional apps for the platform.
The glasses were orignally shown at the World AI Conference in Shanghai and are Alibaba’s first self developed smart eyewear. Their launch follows the release of the Qwen App, which Alibaba says racked up more than ten million downloads in its first week.
The new Quark AI Glasses will be available to buy via a number of Chinese platforms, including Tmall, JD.com and Douyin, and will also be sold in optical stores across China.
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