In Spain, the mobile phone has transformed our daily lives like few other devices; however, a new candidate for constant companion is beginning to consolidate: smart glasses , a format that promises to bring interaction with technology directly to the user's eyes and ears.
Major software and hardware companies are already making moves: Meta, Xiaomi, and Alibaba have launched products, while Apple is accelerating its plans. By 2025, the segment will gain momentum thanks to the maturity of AI , more discreet designs, and practical features that fit seamlessly into everyday life without requiring us to take our phones out of our pockets.
The market is booming with AI
Global shipments have experienced a remarkable leap , with peaks exceeding 2 million units and triple-digit growth driven by the integration of generative models, better sound and cameras, as well as an aesthetic that blends in with traditional optics.
The combination of voice assistants, hands-free capture, and connectivity with digital ecosystem services positions AI-powered smart glasses as the next natural step in wearables. Challenges such as privacy, autonomy, and social acceptance remain, but consumer and industry interest continues to grow.
Meta leads the way in Western adoption with Ray-Ban Meta, while China accelerates its efforts with offerings like Alibaba's Quark AI Glasses , integrated with Alipay, Taobao, and Amap for payments, shopping, and navigation. These products, supported by specialized chips and cameras for visual search, also drive lightweight AR capabilities.
Meanwhile, Apple is developing AI-focused glasses—not initially offering full augmented reality—that will leverage Apple Intelligence and its ecosystem. While the launch window is later, the strategy seems clear: prioritize everyday usability, energy efficiency, and privacy.
Affordable models with simultaneous translation and integrated audio are proliferating, such as proposals from Xiaomi (HY-C8) or Bakeey, which bring the idea of ​​'interpreter on the temple' to very limited budgets.
Xiaomi AI Glasses: Discreet design, darkening lenses, and payments
Xiaomi's design features an aesthetic very similar to conventional glasses , with slightly thicker temples and frames to house the battery, camera, and processor. This approach minimizes the gadget-like appearance and makes them easier to use every day.
One of its distinguishing features is the availability of electrochromic lenses whose opacity is adjusted from the temple: transparent, intermediate tone or almost dark like sunglasses, without needing to change them or depending only on UV radiation as in classic photochromic lenses.
During the presentation, the potential of integrated payments with Alipay was showcased , validating purchases simply by scanning a code at the counter. In markets where this feature is unavailable, the camera can still read QR codes to perform compatible actions from a mobile device.
With XiaoAI as its conversational core, these glasses handle voice-activated tasks without relying on a screen: dictation, queries, or basic phone control. The camera and microphones enable photos, videos, and first-person video calls, enhancing hands-free use.
The practical advantage lies in the charging: a standard USB-C port , no proprietary docks required. Competitive pricing has been announced in China—with standard variants and electrochromic options in monochrome or color—and Xiaomi boasts ample battery life (including approximately 45 minutes of continuous recording) and versions in various colors.
Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta: POV camera, live translation, and sports focus
The Ray-Ban Meta maintains the brand's iconic design with features that are activated by voice ('Hey Meta') or by taps on the temple: capture photos and video in first person, answer calls and listen to music with directional audio , as well as share directly to Instagram or Facebook.
Its assistant allows for contextual actions and already includes real-time translation . The feature, managed through the Meta View app (iOS and Android), translates what you hear and guides you with audio confirmations; it's useful for travel, international meetings, or quick inquiries without needing your phone.
Meta has also strengthened its sports profile with the Oakley Meta . The HSTN variant adds sports lenses, IPX4 water resistance, and video recording up to 3K, along with more microphones for calls and voice commands, and a battery that lasts twice as long as previous generations, plus a charging case with extended charging capabilities.
The experience remains predominantly auditory: despite the advance in AI and 12 MP cameras, there are no integrated AR screens to overlay visual cues or step-by-step navigation, one of the great desires of the format in sports and urban use.
In any case, the combination of recognizable design, POV capture and voice functions positions these glasses as a benchmark in the West, while the ecosystem evolves with AI updates (improved translation, responses based on what you see) and an offering that diversifies audiences between lifestyle and sport.
Zuckerberg argues that glasses are the ideal format for AI —'they see what you see and hear what you hear'—, a vision that shares the spotlight with China (payments and lightweight AR) and with Apple's plans, which prioritize contextual assistance and privacy over a holographic display.
In such a dynamic landscape, the key to success lies in design, autonomy, privacy and price , and in clearly defining use cases: translation, hands-free use, content creation and everyday tasks without depending on the mobile phone.
