Alibaba unveils $450 AI glasses

Alibaba Group Holding introduced its next-generation Qwen Glasses N1 series on October 13 in Hangzhou, broadening its expansion into consumer electronics as part of its AI strategy. The company, positioning itself as China's comprehensive AI provider, showcased the new Qwen Glasses N1 at an event in Hangzhou. Pricing starts at 2,999 yuan (S$573) before any discounts, which is not significantly lower than Meta Platforms's more expensive Ray-Ban smart glasses.

Alibaba aims to compete by offering higher quality and advanced features rather than just low prices.

Alibaba is aiming to utilize smart glasses as an entry point for its AI offerings. In a similar approach, Meta recently released a simplified camera-free version of its smart glasses priced at US$349 (S$446) for use primarily with its Muse AI assistant. The new Alibaba glasses feature enhanced 50-megapixel cameras and sensors, with a Pro edition priced at 3,499 yuan that includes eye-tracking capabilities.

According to Wu Jianjun, general manager of Qwen AI hardware products at Alibaba, the glasses offer 25 hours of standby time or nine hours of music playback on a single charge.

The new glasses are closely aligned with Alibaba's Qwen AI assistant and expand its functionality. Users can interact with the AI agent via bone-conduction microphones, and the glasses support various functions such as shopping, payments, and health tracking. Following a similar strategy in September, Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu reiterated the company's goal to develop all-stack AI, ranging from large language models and chatbot apps to AI chips and hardware.

To provide an affordable entry point for Qwen, Alibaba also launched its new AI earbuds, Qwen Clip, in collaboration with headphone manufacturer Bose, priced at 1,299 yuan.