Kitchen Novices Become Master Chefs in Seconds, Smart Glasses Become New Battleground for Cross-Industry Competition! Which Players Are Laying Out Strategies Behind the Scenes? | Direct Coverage of AWE2026

Through AI cooking glasses that turn a novice into a master chef in seconds, answer calls with a simple “nodding” or “shaking head,” support native real-time 2D to 3D visual transformation, and eliminate the need to look down at navigation during daily travel… At the 2026 China Home Appliance and Consumer Electronics Expo (AWE 2026), more and more smart glasses are moving from concept to reality.

As early as the beginning of this year, smart glasses became a major market focus after being included in the “National Subsidy” list. Compared to previous years, the most obvious change at this year’s expo is not the level of technological iteration, but the rewriting of the answer to “who is making glasses.”

In the past, the list of players in smart glasses was mainly limited to large internet companies and professional AR/VR manufacturers. However, at this year’s AWE, it was more evident that appliance brands like Boss Electric, display giant TCL, BOE, and bone conduction tech specialist ShaoYin Technology are collectively betting on this track.

Smart glasses are becoming a new entry point for cross-industry competition.

Why are home appliance manufacturers eyeing smart glasses?

“Since this year, the smart glasses market has reached a new turning point, shifting from brand chaos to substantial incremental deployment. Meanwhile, new players are entering in batches, and the industry chain activity has significantly increased,” said IDC China analyst Ye Qingqing in an interview with Caixin.

Recently, at the AWE exhibition, this new trend of entrants was observed: from traditional internet giants and professional smart glasses manufacturers to other industries like home appliances.

At the Qianwen Glasses booth, the debut of the domestically launched Qianwen AI Glasses G1 attracted many eyes. It features a built-in large model supporting calls, photos and videos, translation, and more. The Thunderbird X3 Pro AR glasses also drew many visitors. Currently, Thunderbird’s smart life products are first launched on the Thunderbird X3 Pro AR glasses, with plans to gradually introduce other AI glasses models.

Qianwen booth, photo source: Caixin reporter

What surprised the audience even more was Boss Electric releasing an AI cooking glasses powered by the Shishen AI large model, capable of intelligent recognition, recipe recommendations, and real-time cooking guidance. On-site experience showed that wearing these glasses can link with the company’s other products, such as voice-controlled seasoning dispensers activated by the wake-up phrase “Hello Shishen.”

Regarding the reason for this layout, a person in charge at Boss Electric told Caixin that inspired by the AI large models and the craze for smart glasses, the company is trying to combine its self-developed large models with wearable devices for kitchen scenarios. The glasses extend visual and auditory functions to help cooking novices improve quickly, with in-store testing expected around June or July this year.

Similarly, BOE is also crossing industries. At this year’s AWE, BOE showcased its first global product in smart glasses—S7 AI+AR cycling sports glasses. BOE staff explained that these glasses use Micro LED + diffraction waveguide technology to project navigation, speed, and other key information in real-time in front of the user, with features like voice wake-up, team voice commands, and data sharing. The product is expected to be jointly released with automakers in June.

A BOE representative also told Caixin that “many companies are now working on AI glasses, which creates strong competition.” BOE’s approach involves ecosystem interconnection and data linkage in specific scenarios like automotive and cycling.

BOE’s smart glasses, photo source: Caixin reporter

At the exhibition, ShaoYin Technology also debuted two new AI glasses concepts—OpenVision for sports scenes and OpenGuide for visually impaired assistance. Skyworth showcased AI waveguide display glasses, AI electrochromic audio glasses, and AI smart shooting glasses. Vidda displayed Vidda G11 AI audio glasses and AR viewing glasses. The Vidda G11 AI audio glasses, which incorporate quadruple leak-proof technology, support “nodding to answer” and “shaking to reject” calls, and will go on sale in April.

TCL’s President of China Operations, Lu Chunshui, told Caixin, “We believe AR glasses have great potential, especially in interaction innovation.” He further explained that controlling devices via eye movements and cameras, along with real-time synchronization of device information on glasses, could improve current home smart product experiences.

Lu also mentioned that in response to recent “Lobster craze,” the company is deploying related technologies in glasses, aiming to enable full-house device interconnectivity through fast voice control and the latest AR tech, bringing previously impossible smart home scenarios to reality.

From this perspective, if internet giants’ logic for smart glasses is “finding hardware for AI,” then these new entrants are more about “finding interaction entry points for scenarios,” aiming to build an ecosystem.

It’s worth noting that while various manufacturers pursue product experience and ecosystem synergy, upstream providers are actively promoting their solutions.

For example, HiSilicon showcased Micro LED AR display chips and finished AR glasses supported by their technology. The low power consumption in single-green mode can theoretically last over 1.5 days, maintaining 6000 nits brightness.

Additionally, Quectel demonstrated collaborative results in smart glasses. Previously, Quectel mentioned that their edge large model solutions provide comprehensive AI deployment for hardware, computing power, algorithms, and services, applicable in smart robots, automotive cockpits, AI toys, and wearables.

Smart glasses on the XR3.0 fast track, stable demand scenarios still need breakthroughs

Looking back at the development of virtual reality, Huang Wei, Deputy Director of the Institute of Information and Industrialization Integration at the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, announced at the AWE opening that the evolution can be divided into three stages: XR1.0 (2012-2019), driven by mobile internet and smartphones, achieving the transition from 0 to 1; XR2.0 (2020-2023), involving industry trial and application exploration; and XR3.0 (2024-present), where industry growth accelerates, with “AI + AR” as core technological engines promoting innovation and integrated applications.

In fact, this year, the smart glasses track continues to heat up, becoming a new cross-industry entry point. Behind this, Caixin observed that the entire industry is at a new turning point driven by policy, technology, and consumer experience.

Policy-wise, this year, smart glasses were included in the “National Subsidy” list for the first time, with a subsidy of 15% of the product price, up to 500 yuan per unit, and a maximum product price of 6,000 yuan. While stimulating consumption through subsidies, local governments are also actively developing industry ecosystems to promote high-quality growth.

For example, the Bao’an District’s “High-Quality Development Action Plan for the Smart Glasses Industry (2025-2027)” aims to have over 100 companies in the industry chain by 2027, cultivate 2-3 well-known enterprises, develop more than 10 deep-application projects, and help Shenzhen become the “Global Smart Glasses Industry Capital.”

Technologically, Huang Wei mentioned that the XR3.0 era’s “six horizontal and two vertical” technical system is taking shape, with six key areas: near-eye displays, spatial computing, natural interaction, content creation, spatial intelligence, and cloud-edge collaboration. Among these, near-eye display remains a hot spot.

In micro displays, for VR/MR glasses, Fast-LCD and Micro OLED are mainstream; for AI/AR glasses, Micro OLED, COG, and Micro LED are dominant. Optical developments focus on lightweight, thin, high-quality imaging, with Pancake lenses being mainstream for VR/MR, and waveguides favored for AI+AR glasses due to their slimness and high transmittance.

On the ecosystem front, companies beyond traditional smart glasses manufacturers are entering this space, as shown at AWE, including appliance and display tech firms, making smart glasses a new cross-industry battleground.

From an industry ecosystem perspective, Huang Wei also noted that XR terminal industry is moving toward vertical integration. During XR3.0, collaboration among display, optical, and semiconductor sectors is shifting from “interface connection” to “joint R&D and investment.” Meanwhile, XR glasses manufacturers are acquiring, investing, and jointly developing upstream supply chains for key components like screens, chips, optics, and sensors.

Currently, domestic chipmaker Hengxuan Technology (688608.SH), optical component firms Crystal-Optech (002273.SZ), Suda Weige (300331.SZ), and device assemblers Goertek (002241.SZ), Luxshare (002475.SZ), as well as structural parts and modules companies Lens Technology (300433.SZ), Lianyi Intelligent Manufacturing (002600.SZ), and battery maker Desay Battery (000049.SZ), are all involved in the smart glasses industry chain.

So, with the continued rise of the smart glasses sector, how is the market performing? Latest data from Luotu Technology shows that by 2025, China’s smart glasses sales will reach 1.454 million units, a 211% increase. In 2026, new brands like ByteDance (Doubao), Samsung, Jimi (MemoMind), Vidda, Huawei, ZuiMi, and Qianwen will launch new products. Luotu predicts that in 2026, China’s overall smart glasses sales will surpass 3.2 million units, a 120% increase, with the industry landscape continuing to reshape amid fierce competition.

However, Ye Qingqing pointed out, “The smart glasses market is still in an early stage; product forms are not yet fixed, companies are exploring different tech paths and interaction methods, the market is fragmented, and early adopters dominate, with no stable core demand scenarios yet.”

ShaoYin Technology also shared its strategic approach, emphasizing that glasses are an important future entry point for smart wearables, similar to headphones, but requiring more technological accumulation. “The market is pushing forward, but consumers are cautious. We are refining our technology.”

Regarding future industry development, Huang Wei suggested focusing on: 1) identifying key technological challenges to address uncertainties; 2) building a system for flagship products to foster endogenous growth; 3) exploring diverse application innovations to break industry bottlenecks; 4) pre-emptively researching regulatory and governance issues to promote healthy, orderly development.

(Article source: Caixin)