Alibaba joins smart glasses race, takes on Meta with Qualcomm-powered Quark AI glasses

India Today

6 days ago

Alibaba has introduced its first pair of AI-powered smart glasses — the Quark AI glasses, named after the company's AI assistant. The smart glasses were shown to the public for the first time at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai. While the company hasn't revealed a launch date or price yet, it did say the product is fully developed and expected to go on sale in China later this year. The glasses are designed to work closely with Alibaba's growing AI ecosystem and offer features like real-time translation, hands-free payments, price comparisons and even turn-by-turn navigation — all directly through the lenses.advertisementThis is Alibaba's first attempt at making smart glasses, and the timing is no coincidence. Local competitors like Xreal and Rokid have already launched products, and global tech giants like Meta are also in the mix, with their Ray-Ban smart glasses. Rather than sitting on the sidelines, Alibaba seems ready to compete by leaning on its own strengths — AI models, software platforms, and existing services like Alipay and Taobao. The company has already confirmed that the Quark AI glasses will use Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 platform, a chip made specifically for augmented reality wearables. There's also a second low-power processor inside, and the glasses run on a dual operating system setup — Android and a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS), which handles light and immediate tasks efficiently.Alibaba has been gradually expanding its AI presence over the past year. Back in February, it announced a $53 billion investment into AI infrastructure over three years. It's also reorganised internal teams to better focus on both AI models and real-world products. This includes the development of its own large language models under the Qwen name, which power various features in Quark, its AI assistant. Earlier this year, Alibaba turned Quark into a more versatile tool, evolving it from a simple search and cloud storage app into an all-in-one assistant with capabilities similar to what you'd expect from ChatGPT or Google Gemini.
The company's partnership with AR glasses maker RayNeo earlier this year also shows it's thinking long term. That deal involved integrating Alibaba's AI tools into RayNeo's products, laying the groundwork for future collaboration or tech sharing.In terms of features, the Quark AI glasses aren't just about looking futuristic. You'll be able to scan QR codes to make payments via Alipay, identify and compare prices on Taobao (China's largest online marketplace) by pointing the glasses at items, and get real-time directions while walking or cycling using Amap, Alibaba's navigation app. The glasses also include hands-free calling, live meeting transcriptions, music playback, and a built-in camera.The design of the Quark AI glasses has been tweaked for comfort too. According to the company, the glasses' arms are 40 per cent slimmer than the usual industry standard, making them more practical for daily use. The frames are also lightweight and designed to house all this tech without looking bulky.As mentioned above, there's no official word on pricing or international availability just yet. Stay tuned to India Today Tech for all the latest on Alibaba's Quark AI glasses.- Ends