As Android XR nears, smart glasses are only getting more popular despite Meta backlash

There’s been a near-constant stream of backlash against Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses in recent months, but that hasn’t stopped people from buying them, as a new report reveals that shipments have grown by over 250%. Counterpoint Research reports that, in the first half of 2026, shipments of AI smart glasses have risen by 263% year-over-year. Meta holds 94% of the market with its Ray-Ban and self-branded glasses models, with Xiaomi and Alibaba each holding 1% in second and third place, respectively. Display-less glasses make up 96% of all shipments, with brands such as Rokid, Meta, Even Realities, and others splitting the remaining 4% of shipments for glasses that have a built-in display, but that segment is up nearly 450% year-over-year. Notably, no figures have been shared on just how many glasses units are being shipped/sold. North America is the biggest market for display-less smart glasses, taking up 50% of the global market share, while China is a slightly bigger market for glasses with a display. Meanwhile, competition is brewing as Samsung & Google prepare to launch the first Android XR-powered smart glasses. The initial release will be display-less, focusing on integrations with Android and Gemini for interactions through your smartphone, Wear OS watch, and audio to accomplish tasks and interact with the glasses. More on Smart Glasses: The camera is my favorite part of smart glasses, but it just feels wrong now Samsung’s first Android XR glasses with a color display may launch in late 2027 Samsung teases Android XR glasses with phone & watch integration, ‘reasonable’ price Follow Ben: Twitter/X, Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.