Global shipments of AI glasses surged 263 percent year over year in the first half of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research, in a sign that smart eyewear is moving from a niche gadget to a mainstream product.
Almost all of that growth came from display-less models, the camera-and-microphone glasses typified by the Ray-Ban Meta line, which accounted for 96 percent of all AI glasses shipped in the period, according to Counterpoint's figures reported by Malaysian Wireless and Mixed-News. Shipments in that category rose 258 percent from a year earlier and were 22 percent higher than in the second half of 2025.
Meta dominates the segment. Counterpoint estimated that Meta accounted for about 94 percent of global display-less AI glasses shipments in the first half of 2026, with its own volumes up 260 percent year over year, according to the reports. Xiaomi and Alibaba each held roughly 1 percent of the segment.
Display glasses grow faster from a small base
Glasses that actually put an image in front of the wearer's eye grew even faster in percentage terms, up 449 percent year over year, according to Counterpoint. But they started from a tiny base and still represented only about 4 percent of overall AI glasses shipments in the first half of 2026.
Separate figures from IDC point in the same direction. IDC estimated that around 2.25 million display-less smart glasses were shipped globally in the first quarter of 2026 alone, up 167 percent year over year, and expects shipments to reach about 13.6 million units for the full year, according to the coverage.
Analysts caution that the figures are shipments into retail channels rather than confirmed sales to end users, and that different research firms define the category differently. Even so, the direction is consistent: AI glasses are selling in volumes that were unthinkable two years ago, and Meta's lead, at roughly 84 percent of all smart-glasses shipments, leaves rivals with a steep climb.