Alibaba’s Quark Smartglasses Launch, Bringing Everyday Tasks Right to Your Eyes

Alibaba has just unveiled its first smartglasses in China, the Quark series, which include AI assistance built directly into the frames. You can get them in two versions: the S1, which simply displays all of the information in front of your face, and the G1, which is more low-key and has no display at all.

They both come with a processor system using two chips: Qualcomm takes care of the heavy lifting, while Hengxuan sort out the audio side of things. The battery system is cleverly designed to pop out and swap over easily, so you get up to 24 hours out of the S1, and even the G1 will see you through the day. To top it off, it has a row of six microphones that can pick up your voice even when it is obscured by surrounding noise. When you put them on, they’re amazingly light (40 grams for the G1), almost as light as regular glasses, and you can get them in a variety of frame colours and lens kinds to suit your style.

You kick things off with a simple “Hello Qwen,” and Alibaba’s own AI springs to life, ready to sort out whatever you need next. Snap the built-in camera at a product on a shelf, and the price from Taobao appears on screen, allowing you to buy it right away using Alipay. Amap handles navigation, and if you’re using the S1, your directions will appear near your line of sight. And if you’re traveling or simply want to listen to music, the G1 has you covered with bone conduction speakers that let sound to enter your ears without anybody else knowing you’re listening. Oh, and developers aren’t limited either; there’s an open protocol in place that allows them to create apps that are specifically designed to interact with Quark frames.

Capture a moment, and the camera takes a photo in less than a second or begins shooting video in crystal clear 3K, which is then enhanced by AI to silky smooth 4K playback. Low light performance remains excellent, revealing details from shadows that rival cameras frequently miss, all in real time with no delays. When meetings become helpful, it’s because the glasses can listen and scribble down your thoughts on the go, or feed you words from a script, similar to having a personal coach whisper quietly in your ear. Schedules all sync, reminders gently nudge you, and it can even answer any queries you have about a sign or menu, with a translation overlay coming up in real time if necessary. Everyday errands become much more easy, from being able to see neighboring restaurants on the go to receiving flight information mid-stride.

The smartglasses market in China is only getting started, with shipments anticipated to double next year as more people become accustomed to wearing such technology on their faces. Alibaba is entering the market with its own made-from-scratch gear, combining camera smarts and audio refinement into frames that demand to be worn all day. According to early testers, these glasses fit remarkably well; they’re so light that you barely realize them until you say the magic word that brings the world into sharper focus.