China’s Wearable Tech Market Soars: Smart Glasses Sales Skyrocket by 120% in 2026

China’s burgeoning interest in wearable technology has reached a remarkable milestone. Smart glasses sales on major online retail platforms have surged by over 120% year-on-year in the first eight months of 2026, according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce released on Sunday, September 20.

Domestic shipments are projected to reach 4.5 million units by the end of the year, marking a 77.7% increase from 2025, as per government data cited by Bloomberg. Chinese brands, spearheaded by Xiaomi and Rokid, are at the forefront of this surge, offering competitive prices and specifications. For instance, Xiaomi’s smart glasses boast an impressive 8.6 hours of battery life and 45 minutes of continuous 2K video recording, reportedly outperforming Meta’s competing Ray-Ban Display glasses in terms of endurance.

Despite the rising competition, Meta continues to hold the lion’s share of the global smart glasses market with a 69.2% share in Q1 2026, according to IDC data. However, Chinese contenders are swiftly narrowing this gap in the domestic market. Shenzhen-based RayNeo holds the second position globally with a 3.4% share, closely followed by Xiaomi at 3.1%. In the meantime, global AR glasses shipments witnessed a 136% year-over-year rise in Q1 2026, as reported by Counterpoint Research, even as VR headset shipments declined by 17%.

The surge in smart glasses sales comes amidst intensifying global privacy debates. Wearable cameras have sparked concerns about covert recording and facial recognition in public spaces.

Source: Bloomberg – China’s Smart-Glasses Sales Double in First Eight Months of Year