Counterpoint: AI glasses shipments jumped 263% in H1 2026 as Meta held 94% of display-less market

Meta accounted for 94% of worldwide display-less AI glasses shipments in the period, according to the research firm, with its volumes up 260% year over year. Xiaomi and Alibaba each held 1%, and all other brands together took the remaining 4%.

North America took 50% of display-less AI glasses shipments, Western Europe 28%, Australia 4.4%, the Asia-Pacific region 4%, Latin America 3.8%, India 3.7%, China 3% and the United Arab Emirates 2%, Counterpoint said.

Meta's lead rests on its second-generation Ray-Ban glasses, which have sold far better than the first generation launched with the eyewear brand. Francesco Milleri, chief executive of Ray-Ban owner EssilorLuxottica, said earlier this year that the two companies had sold more than 7 million AI glasses in 2025, putting a 10-million annual sales target within reach by the end of 2026. Over the past year Meta has largely had the display-less market to itself while most major rivals continue developing their own hardware.

The devices have also brought scrutiny. Reports of non-consensual filming and harassment involving camera-equipped frames have intensified criticism, and the label "perv glasses" has gained currency in recent months.

Apple is rumored to be developing a display-less pair to compete with Meta's Ray-Bans, with a launch currently targeted for 2027. The glasses are expected to rely heavily on Siri and Apple Intelligence, with cameras, microphones and speakers built into the frame, while a more advanced version with an AR display is reported to be several years away.

In the separate segment Counterpoint defines as AR and AI glasses, meaning those with the displays and optical components needed for an optical see-through experience, shipments surged 449% year over year. Rokid accounted for 41% of that market, followed by Meta at 37%, Even Realities at 11%, Alibaba at 7%, INMO at 2% and other brands collectively at 2%. China took 45% of shipments in the segment, North America 41% and the rest of the world 14%.

Counterpoint expects the broader market to keep growing as Meta, Google, Samsung and Apple intensify investment and competition. The firm said the next phase of growth will be driven by "agentic AI glasses" offering more proactive, context-aware experiences, enabled by advances in agent-integrated software, operating systems, voice interaction and ultra-low-power sensing and computing. It also expects a wider range of form factors to emerge in response to privacy concerns about cameras, including camera-free AI audio glasses and glasses equipped with cameras mainly for contextual understanding rather than photo or video capture.