XREAL CEO Predicts AI Glasses Breakthrough: The Next 'iPhone Moment'

At the ongoing BEYOND Expo 2026 in Macao, Xu Chi, CEO of Chinese company XREAL, shared his vision for the future of AI glasses. According to him, the industry is on the verge of an 'iPhone moment'—a shift to a new computing platform where glasses become as ubiquitous as smartphones. Unlike bulky XR headsets such as the Apple Vision Pro, lightweight and ergonomic AI glasses could capture the mass market.

Xu Chi noted that XREAL is already collaborating with Google to develop joint products slated for release by the end of the year. The focus is on integrating large language models with wearables. The CEO is confident that the primary advantage of AI glasses is their ability to function as personal assistants, constantly within the user's field of view and analyzing the environment in real time.

Industry interest in such solutions is growing. Meta and Google are also actively developing AR and multimodal AI technologies. Mark Zuckerberg previously stated that glasses are the ideal form factor for deploying artificial intelligence. However, beyond technology, the key challenge remains building an ecosystem and expanding into global markets. Xu Chi emphasized that Chinese companies must transition from product exports to creating value in partnership with international collaborators.

Despite optimism, mass adoption of AI glasses has yet to materialize. Major barriers include high costs, limited battery life, and the absence of a 'killer app.' Nevertheless, Chinese manufacturers, including XREAL and Rokid, are already leading the race for this new technological wave.