Alibaba releases Quark smart glasses with built-in AI

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. began sales of its first smart glasses powered by its Qwen AI models, marking a rare foray into consumer hardware, Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.

Details

The new Quark S1 glasses feature built-in translucent displays that overlay contextual information onto images of the surrounding environment. Equipped with cameras, bone-conduction microphones, and interchangeable batteries rated for 24 hours of operation, these new glasses are designed to offer the Chinese market something akin to Meta Platforms Inc.'s Ray-Ban smart glasses, the publication notes.

This is a continuation of Alibaba's ambitious reorganization into an AI-centric business. Last week, the company made a splash by releasing the Qwen app, consolidating various AI-powered consumer services into a single updated app that quickly attracted over 10 million users. CEO Eddie Wu stated this week that the company has achieved "exceptional user retention" with the new release. Alibaba has also integrated the Qwen suite into its desktop browser Quark and is now expanding its line of Quark wearable devices.

In addition to the S1, which has a starting price of 3,799 yuan (US$537), Alibaba will offer a Quark G1 model for 1,899 yuan, which does not use micro-OLED displays. Both models run on Qualcomm Inc.'s Snapdragon AR1 platform – a chip designed specifically for augmented reality glasses and includes neural processors for AI tasks.

The S1 is already available for purchase on Tmall, JD.com, Douyin (ByteDance Ltd.), and in over 600 stores in 82 cities across China. According to a representative from Alibaba's Quark division, international versions will be released next year, with some available on platforms such as AliExpress.

Addition

As noted, Meta's recent $799 Ray-Ban Display pair demonstrated a more ambitious approach to the category, introducing integrated screens and a separate strap for gesture control. Meta's most advanced model is more cumbersome, heavier, and more expensive than usual, but it has marked a promising path forward, the publication writes.

Alibaba integrates many benefits of its ecosystem with the new Quark hardware, including the Taobao marketplace, Fliggy travel booking platform, and Alipay payments. The company also collaborates with Hangzhou-based NetEase Inc. and Shenzhen-based Tencent Holdings Ltd., providing NetEase Cloud Music and QQ Music services.