Omdia reports that global AI glasses shipments reached 4.2 million units in the first half of 2026, up 127% year-on-year.
Key points
•Global AI glasses shipments reached 4.2 million units in H1 2026
•Meta's continued dominance and Chinese market entrants drive growth
•Market fragmentation with privacy concerns influencing design
The AI glasses market remains an emerging category with growth stabilizing from a very low base. Key drivers include Meta's continued market momentum and new entrants from China focusing on hands-free photo and video capture, open-ear audio, and AI assistance within everyday frames.
Meta captured 81.3% of the market by shipping 3.4 million units in the first half of 2026. Meanwhile, smaller competitors like Realities are contributing to overall growth through alternative frame designs and targeted use cases, such as their G2 series which saw a significant increase in shipments.
China remains a crucial supply chain hub and testbed for new hardware configurations, with shipments surging by 306% year-on-year. However, the market is highly fragmented, with top players Alibaba, INMO, and Xiaomi accounting for only 46.1% of total shipments.
