The global market for artificial intelligence glasses has experienced strong growth, with shipments more than doubling to 4.2 million units in the first half of 2026, according to new data from Omdia.

Shipments surged 127% year-on-year, propelled by continued market momentum from Meta and a wave of new hardware entrants emerging from China. Analysts note that market expansion has been fuelled by clear consumer demand for hands-free photo and video capture, open-ear audio, and real-time AI assistance packed into everyday frames.

Meta retained an overwhelming lead during the period, shipping 3.4 million units to capture an 81.3% market share. However, smaller competitors are carving out space by exploring alternative designs.

climbed to second place with 102,000 units shipped, driven by demand for its G2 series, which opts for a camera-free, slim profile featuring a small monochrome display and productivity tools such as real-time transcription.

“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 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.”

While the US remains the largest consumer market, mainland China saw shipments skyrocket by 306% year-on-year as local brands tested diverse configurations.

Jason Low, Research Director at Omdia, noted that this hardware experimentation points to a shifting industry landscape: “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.”

However, the rapid sector growth is accompanied by intensifying regulatory scrutiny over user privacy and camera usage. Low emphasised that manufacturers must adapt to mounting consumer concerns:

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

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