Alibaba unveils new AI glasses

Alibaba (9988) unveiled the new generation of its smart glasses, Qwen Glasses N1 series, with prices starting at 2,999 yuan (HK$3,516).

The new Alibaba glasses include advanced cameras and sensors and new eye-tracking functions, with a Pro edition priced at 3,499 yuan. Users can interact with the AI agent through bone-conduction microphones, and the glasses also support shopping functions, payments and health tracking.

The company also released its new AI earbuds named Qwen Clip, jointly developed with US headphone maker Bose. On the e-commerce platform Taobao, they are priced at 1,299 yuan.

Its last and first version of smart glasses, Quark S1 glasses, were launched last November, with prices starting at 3,799 yuan. This move is one of its rare forays into consumer electronics hardware.

Alibaba chief executive Eddie Wu Yongming last month reaffirmed the company's ambition to develop all-stack AI, from large language models and chatbot apps to AI chips and hardware.

The company completed its HK$80 billion in record Hong Kong share sale in late August. It intends to use all the proceeds from the placement to invest in full-stack AI capabilities, a category that includes chips, infrastructure and the development and deployment of AI models, to extend its global AI leadership, Alibaba said.

Frank Feng

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