Global AI glasses shipments reach 4.2 million units in first half of 2026

Global AI glasses shipments reached 4.2 million units in the first half of 2026 (1H26), representing a 127 percent increase year-over-year (YoY).

According to figures from research firm Omdia, growth in the emerging wearable category is beginning to stabilize as the market expands beyond its initial base. At the same time, the hardware sector is navigating a more complex retail and regulatory landscape, marked by frame design diversification and increased consumer focus on privacy.

“Growth in the AI glasses market in 1H26 was driven by Meta’s continued market momentum and a wave of new market entrants from China,” said Qiran Ju, senior analyst at UK-based research firm Omdia. “Just as critically, vendors have made the value proposition immediately clear to buyers by focusing on hands-free photo and video capture, open-ear audio, and AI assistance within everyday frames”.

Meta (US) maintained its dominant market position during the period, shipping 3.4 million units to secure an 81.3 percent market share.

Design diversification gains momentum across markets

Smaller industry players are also driving growth by introducing alternative frame configurations and functional variations. Singapore-headquartered Even Realities moved from fifth position in the second half of 2025 to second place in 1H26, shipping 102,000 units to secure a 2.4 percent market share. The expansion was largely propelled by demand for its G2 series across North America and Western Europe.

“Even Realities takes a different frame design from most AI glasses,” Ju said. “By removing both the camera and speakers, and focusing instead on a slimmer design, a small monochrome display and productivity features such as real-time transcription, it shows how vendors are exploring different ways to make AI glasses useful in everyday life”.

The US remains the largest end-consumer market for the category. Meanwhile, mainland China serves as both a primary manufacturing hub and an active testing ground for varied hardware setups. Shipments in China grew 306 percent YoY in 1H26 as brands experimented with varied display, camera, and audio integrations.

The Chinese market remains fragmented, with leading players Alibaba, INMO, and Xiaomi collectively accounting for 46.1 percent of regional shipments.

Privacy scrutiny shapes hardware direction

“What we are seeing in China provides early but definitive signs that there is no single, one-size-fits-all solution in the AI glasses space,” said Jason Low, research director at Omdia. “As the category continues to diversify across different form factors and feature sets, this will inevitably become the defining trend for the global market”.

Low highlighted that consumer privacy preferences are a key driver of market fragmentation.“As scrutiny of camera-equipped AI glasses intensifies, tighter privacy settings and clearer messaging will not be enough,” Low added. “Companies must define exactly what always-on cameras capture, show users how that content is used, and guarantee it never reaches third parties”.