IDC: In the first quarter of 2025, the Chinese smart glasses market grew by 116.1% year-on-year.

IDC's latest "Global Smart Eyewear Market Quarterly Tracking Report" projects that in the first quarter of 2025, the global smart eyewear market shipped 1.487 million units, an 82.3% year-on-year increase. Of this, the global audio and video recording eyewear market shipped 831,000 units, a 219.5% year-on-year increase, while the AR/VR market shipped 656,000 units, an 18.1% year-on-year increase. The smart eyewear market is still dominated by Meta globally, with a focus on the Western European market in addition to the US market. In the first quarter of 2025, the Chinese smart eyewear market shipped 494,000 units, a 116.1% year-on-year increase. As for the Chinese market specifically, the audio and video recording eyewear market shipped 359,000 units, a 197.4% year-on-year increase. The market is currently dominated by audio eyewear products, with key players including Xiaomi, Huawei, and Jiehuan; the launch of the new product V3 by Lebird in the first quarter significantly boosted the audio and video recording eyewear market. The AR/VR market shipped 135,000 units, a 25.2% year-on-year increase, with key players including Pico, Xreal, Lebird, and Inmo. Over the past two quarters, the focus of the Chinese AR/VR market has gradually shifted towards the AR&ER market, with 86,000 units shipped in the first quarter, accounting for 63.8%, representing a 64.0% year-on-year increase driven by Xreal, Lebird, and Xingji Meizu. The total global smart eyewear market shipments for 2025 are expected to reach 14.518 million units, a 42.5% year-on-year increase, with audio and video recording eyewear shipments expected to reach 8.828 million units, a 225.6% year-on-year increase, and AR/VR device shipments expected to reach 5.690 million units, a 23.9% year-on-year decrease. The decline in the AR/VR market is mainly attributed to the impact of the MR market, with some shipments postponed from 2025 to 2026 due to the halt or delay in important product rhythms. For the Chinese market in 2025, smart eyewear shipments are expected to reach 2.907 million units, a 121.1% year-on-year increase, with audio and video recording eyewear shipments expected to reach 2.165 million units, a 178.4% year-on-year increase, and AR/VR device shipments expected to reach 742,000 units, a 38.1% year-on-year increase. In 2025, the Chinese smart eyewear market will exhibit the following development characteristics: 1. The audio and video recording eyewear market will see the emergence of new top players, reshaping the market landscape. 2. The smart eyewear market will further expand into traditional eyewear channels. 3. The AR/VR eyewear market will shift towards lightweight eyewear, with professional-grade eyewear focusing on niche markets. IDC's research director in China, Pan Xuefei, believes that while Meta is expanding rapidly in the global market, the development of the Chinese audio and video recording eyewear market in 2025 may be more cautious. Despite the entry of top manufacturers in the second half of the year, the overall pace remains steady, with further exploration and exploitation needed in terms of the compatibility and linkage between audio and video recording eyewear and AI large-scale models and software ecosystems in the Chinese market. IDC China market analyst Ye Qingqing believes that 2025 will be a crucial turning point for the AR/VR market in China, as the market has finally seen new growth opportunities under the development of lightweight eyewear. The market competition will intensify, with changing landscape of manufacturers, and the ability to make forward-looking product planning and adjust strategies in response to market changes will be the determining factor for AR/VR manufacturers to seize key market share in the early stages.