Alibaba enters the smart eyewear race, taking dead aim at Meta’s AI glasses

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Alibaba (NYSE:BABA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BABA]) has started preorders for its smart AI glasses, officially called Quark AI Glasses. The product introduction marks the company's launch into consumer-focused wearable AI hardware. The first customer orders for the Quark AI glasses are slated to begin in December.

The smart AI glasses are priced at about $660 for the public, with discounts offered for Alibaba (NYSE:BABA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BABA]) members. Initially, the main market focus is China, with availability through Alibaba's (BABA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BABA]) Tmall platform. There have been strong indications that Alibaba (BABA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BABA]) plans to expand internationally if the China launch is successful.​

The Quark AI Glasses have a deep integration into Alibaba's (BABA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BABA]) digital ecosystem. The device connects directly to services like Alipay for hands-free payments, Amap for augmented reality navigation, Taobao for real-time product recognition and price comparison, and Fliggy for travel information. The glasses run on powerful Qualcomm (QCOM [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/QCOM]) AR1 and BES2800 dual flagship chips. They operate primarily through voice commands powered by Alibaba's (BABA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BABA]) proprietary Qwen large language model and the new Quark AI assistant. This allows users to perform real-time language translation, transcribe meetings, make hands-free calls, play music, and interact with the new AI chatbot within the Quark app.

Alibaba (BABA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BABA]) is selling a standard AI variant and a premium AI+AR model. Both models include a 12-megapixel Sony camera with an advanced night mode for high-quality photos, even in low light.​ Sound and communication are enhanced by dual off-ear speakers and multiple microphones, supporting effective noise isolation and clear audio experiences.​

Looking ahead, Alibaba (BABA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BABA]) thinks it can position the Quark AI Glasses to be appealing to both enterprise and retail users interested in practical applications of wearable AI. The product could be a direct challenger to Meta Platform's (NASDAQ:META [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/META]) AI glasses as it expands to new markets.

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