China Telecom's AI Glasses: Features and Advantages

China Telecom's self-developed AI glasses are expected to be launched as early as May 2025. These glasses have a variety of functions, including object and face recognition, making phone calls, editing text messages, and cross-language translation. They are equipped with the first-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 chip, a 12-megapixel RGB camera, LED indicator lights, a 3-microphone array, dual-speaker open sound field technology, and integrated AI noise reduction, directional enhancement, and spatial audio algorithms. The glasses also have a single charge endurance of up to 8 hours.

One of the highlights of China Telecom's AI glasses is their friendliness to visually impaired users. They can recognize images in front of the user and convey information through voice, bringing great convenience to visually impaired people.

The Reasons for China Telecom's Entry into the AI Glasses Market

Transformation Pressure

As a traditional communication operator, China Telecom faces the pressure of transformation. The original business model of selling phone cards, broadband, and dedicated lines has reached its limit, and the market has entered a stock market with weak revenue growth. To survive better, operators need to transform and sell cloud computing, IDC, big data, Internet of Things, and 5G+ industry application solutions, which are expected to become the key pillars of operators' revenue in the future. The AI glasses market, as an emerging field with great potential, is naturally not to be missed by China Telecom. According to Wellsenn XR's report, the global AI glasses sales are expected to reach 3.5 million units in 2025, a 230% increase from 2024.

Enhancing Channel Profitability

China Telecom has tens of thousands of business halls across the country. In the past, these business halls could only handle traditional businesses such as mobile phones and broadband, with limited profitability and high operating costs. By introducing AI glasses and other products, China Telecom can enhance the profitability of its business halls and improve the utilization rate of offline stores. If the AI glasses become popular, the business halls can increase their channel profitability by selling products, and even introduce other brands of AI glasses to obtain additional income.

Competition among China's Three Major Telecom Operators in the AI Glasses Market

China Mobile

China Mobile plans to launch three high-end models of AI glasses in the first quarter of 2025. In the future, China Mobile plans to work with many leading technology companies to launch more than ten AI glasses products covering four major series, including shooting display version, shooting version, display version, and audio version, throughout 2025.

China Unicom

China Unicom has taken the lead in the AI glasses market. It launched the eSIM AI sports glasses, jointly developed with its partner Qidian Linjin, in the second half of last year.

The Future of the AI Glasses Market

With the continuous development of AI technology and the increasing demand for intelligent wearable devices, the AI glasses market is expected to迎来 significant growth in the future. According to IDC's forecast, global shipments of AI glasses are expected to reach 12.8 million units in 2025, a 26% increase from the previous year. In China, shipments are projected to surge 107% to 2.8 million units over the same period.

The entry of China's three major telecom operators into the AI glasses market will further intensify the competition in this field. Their rich resources and extensive user base will promote the development and popularization of AI glasses, bringing more choices and better user experiences to consumers.

Conclusion

China Telecom's entry into the AI glasses market is an important step in its transformation and upgrading. With its strong technical strength and brand influence, China Telecom has the potential to become a major player in the AI glasses market. At the same time, the competition among China's three major telecom operators will also promote the development of the entire AI glasses industry, bringing more innovation and opportunities. In the future, with the continuous progress of technology and the increasing demand of users, the AI glasses market is expected to迎来 a broader development space.