Chase Bernath / Android Authority
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Summary
- Shipments of AI glasses worldwide surged by 263% year-over-year in the first half of 2026.
- Display-less models dominated this market, constituting 96% of all shipments, with Meta leading at 94% share.
- Shipments of AR glasses experienced a remarkable 449% growth year-over-year, albeit starting from a small number.
Although smart glasses might still operate on the fringes of technology, their sales have noticeably increased over the past year. In the first half of 2026, global shipments of AI glasses rose by an astonishing 263% compared to the previous year, with the majority of the products being display-less models.
According to Counterpoint Research’s recent market analysis, this growth is largely due to the affordable and more developed display-less category, which includes items like the Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses. Shipments in this segment grew by 258% from the previous year and saw a 22% uptick compared to the latter part of 2025.
Meta remains a dominating force in this market, capturing 94% of all display-less AI glasses shipments in the first half of 2026. Their sales increased by 260% from the previous year, bolstered by new Ray-Ban models, the rollout into additional countries, promotional offers, and lower-cost Meta-branded glasses.
While AR glasses still represent a minor fraction of total sales, their shipments are escalating at a faster pace compared to display-less models. Counterpoint reports that AR and AI glasses shipments soared by 449% year-over-year, starting from a lower base. Rokid led this market segment with a 41% share, closely followed by Meta at 37%. Moreover, 45% of shipments originated from China, attributed to its established supply chains for components.
Despite the promising growth, potential challenges loom for the sector. Counterpoint indicates that rising component costs and heightened public scrutiny regarding privacy issues could pose significant hurdles. This concern has been a recurring topic in tech, especially as smart glasses gain traction. An example includes Meta’s recent difficulties regarding the recording indicator on their glasses, where users exploited a loophole to disable the LED that signifies recording had begun.
Nevertheless, Counterpoint does not predict these issues to halt the overall expansion of AI glasses. They foresee the emergence of new designs that can bypass camera-related concerns. This might include camera-less AI audio glasses, which are reportedly on Meta’s radar, focusing instead on microphones and AI functionalities.
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