HUD-Based AI Smart Glasses Set to Overtake Audio-Only Designs from 2028

Smart Analytics Global (SAG) today released its latest AI Smart Glasses Feature Report, forecasting that the global AI smart glasses market will enter a breakout growth phase in 2026, driven by the commercial success of Ray-Ban Meta and the anticipated entry of major ecosystem players, including Apple and Samsung.

SAG forecasts that global AI smart glasses revenue will quadruple in 2026, with sales volume rising from 6 million units in 2025 to 20 million units in 2026, while market value is expected to expand from US$1.2 billion to US$5.6 billion over the same period. The U.S. and China will remain the two largest markets in 2026, together accounting for nearly 80% of global demand.

Looking ahead, SAG expects HUD (heads-up display) AI smart glasses to outpace and overtake audio-only AI smart glasses from 2028 onward, as visual AI use cases—such as real-time translation, navigation, search, and contextual AI assistance—gain traction and hardware capabilities improve. By 2030, global AI smart glasses shipments are projected to reach 75 million units, with revenue climbing to US$29 billion, representing a five-year CAGR of 89%.

“AI smart glasses are rapidly evolving from niche gadgets into a mass-market AI device category,” said Linda Sui, Founder of Smart Analytics Global. “Apple’s expected entry around 2027 could mark a major inflection point, combining strong industrial design, fashion appeal, and ecosystem integration to accelerate mainstream adoption.”

SAG believes AI smart glasses will co-exist with smartphones rather than replace them, serving as a hands-free, always-on AI interface, while gradually cannibalizing portions of the TWS earwear market. The long-term winners are expected to be hybrid players that combine lightweight, socially acceptable design, fast-evolving AI software and services, and global-scale branding and distribution.

By 2030, SAG expects Apple, Samsung, and Meta to emerge as the top three global AI smart glasses vendors, while the broader market undergoes accelerating consolidation from 2026 onward, blaming product homogenization and price competition.

About the Report

The AI Smart Glasses Feature Report by Smart Analytics Global provides vendor-, regional-, and country-level forecasts and analysis covering 2024–2030, including technology evolution, competitive dynamics, distribution strategies, and regulatory considerations.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260113778367/en/

Smart Analytics Global (SAG) is an independent market intelligence and advisory firm providing data-driven research and strategic insights across the global smartphone, connected-device, and emerging AI hardware ecosystem.