AI smart glasses revenue set to quadruple in 2026, Smart Analytics Global forecasts

Smart Analytics Global said global revenue from AI smart glasses is forecast to quadruple in 2026, driven by rapid growth in unit shipments and expanding use cases for visual artificial intelligence.

According to the firm, sales volume is expected to rise to 20 million units in 2026, up from around six million units in 2025. Over the same period, market value is projected to increase from $1.2 billion to $5.6 billion, reflecting both higher volumes and improving hardware capabilities.

The United States and China are expected to remain the two largest markets in 2026, together accounting for nearly 80% of global demand. Smart Analytics Global said adoption in both countries is being supported by strong consumer interest in hands-free AI assistants, advances in on-device processing and growing integration with mobile and cloud ecosystems.

The firm expects AI smart glasses with heads-up displays to gain momentum over the medium term. HUD-based models are forecast to outpace and overtake audio-only smart glasses from 2028 onwards, as visual AI applications become more compelling and component performance improves. These include real-time translation, navigation, contextual search and computer vision-driven assistance.

Looking further ahead, Smart Analytics Global projects global shipments of AI smart glasses will reach 75 million units by 2030, with revenue climbing to $29 billion. This implies a five-year compound annual growth rate of around 89%, underlining the firm’s view that the category is entering a phase of rapid expansion.

Linda Sui, Founder of Smart Analytics Global, said AI smart glasses are transitioning quickly from experimental products to a mainstream device category. She added that a potential market entry by Apple around 2027 could represent a major inflexion point, combining industrial design, fashion appeal and deep ecosystem integration to accelerate adoption among mainstream consumers.

Smart Analytics Global said AI smart glasses are likely to co-exist with smartphones rather than replace them, acting as a hands-free, always-on AI interface. Over time, however, the firm expects the devices to cannibalise parts of the true wireless stereo earwear market as users shift towards more integrated audio-visual AI experiences.

The report said long-term winners are likely to be hybrid players that combine lightweight hardware design, rapidly evolving AI software and services, and global branding and distribution capabilities. By 2030, Smart Analytics Global expects Apple, Samsung and Meta to emerge as the top three vendors in the market.

The firm added that consolidation is likely to accelerate from 2026 onwards as product features become more standardised and price competition intensifies, putting pressure on smaller or less differentiated manufacturers.

The Recap

• SAG forecasts AI smart glasses revenue will quadruple in 2026.
• Shipments rising from 6 million to 20 million units.
• Apple’s expected entry around 2027 could accelerate mainstream adoption.