Alibaba bets on mass-market AI glasses with new Quark models

by XIAO Fang

Alibaba's Quark app has launched two series of lightweight AI glasses, aiming to push smart eyewear into everyday use as Chinese tech firms look for the next consumer device beyond the smartphone.

Quark — a search and productivity app widely used in China — released six models priced from 1,899 yuan to 3,799 yuan (about US$268 to US$537). The designs closely resemble regular eyewear and are built for all-day comfort. A Jiemian News reporter who tested them found the fit more balanced than many competing Chinese devices.

At a media briefing, SONG Gang, who heads Quark's smart-device business, said the glasses were developed for practical scenarios rather than for early adopters. "It's no longer a toy," he said, citing improvements in speech interaction and visual recognition that allow the device to act as a hands-free assistant.

The glasses combine first-person photo and video capture with open-ear audio and microphones, a feature set broadly comparable to Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses. Through Quark's Qwen AI assistant, users can perform tasks such as navigation, quick payments and object recognition — functions that roughly parallel a blend of Google Maps, Apple Pay and image-based search tools.

Song said Quark will expand use cases gradually and focus on moments where eyewear has an advantage, such as navigating airports with luggage. He added that advances in AI software could eventually shift part of daily smartphone time to glasses. "If people spend six hours a day on their phones, perhaps one hour could shift to AI glasses." he said.

Alibaba sees the glasses as a strategic bet on next-generation personal devices. Song said monetization will start with hardware but may later include paid AI services. "It will take time. AI services need scale and user recognition," he said.

Smart eyewear has regained momentum globally after earlier attempts stalled. Quark is betting that comfort, pricing and simple day-to-day utility — rather than advanced augmented-reality visuals — will determine whether AI glasses can reach the mass market.