Alibaba has officially launched its Quark AI Glasses, signaling the company’s continued push into consumer AI. The device went on sale in China on Thursday and comes in two variants: the S1, starting at $536, and the G1, priced at $268.
Features and Functionality
The Quark AI Glasses integrate Alibaba’s Qwen AI models, its version of ChatGPT, and connect to the Qwen app, allowing users to control the glasses via voice commands. The lenses function as screens, and the device includes a camera built into the frame. Alibaba notes that the main distinction between the S1 and G1 models lies in the display.
The glasses offer several AI-powered features, including on-the-go translation, AI-generated meeting notes, and the ability to ask questions to the virtual assistant. Users can also take photos of products, with the glasses displaying the corresponding Taobao price directly on the lenses.
Alibaba is entering the growing smart glasses market alongside competitors such as Xiaomi, Xreal, and U.S. tech giant Meta, which recently unveiled its $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses. Analysts expect shipments of AI glasses to exceed 10 million units by 2026, doubling from 2025, according to Omdia forecasts.
The launch reinforces Alibaba’s broader focus on consumer AI. Its Qwen app achieved 10 million downloads in the first week of its public beta launch. Additionally, Alibaba’s cloud computing segment, which drives much of its AI-related revenue, reported accelerated growth in the last quarter.
The Hangzhou-based company is actively investing in AI alongside domestic rivals Baidu and Tencent, regularly releasing new models and expanding its capabilities in the field.
