AI Glasses Supply Chain Pursues Light and Chips as Horizon Technology Invests Heavily Ahead of iPhone Era

By the second quarter of 2026, the AI glasses market is heating up rapidly, with the industry shifting from the early "hundred-glasses race" toward a more refined and specialized phase. Google announced its first AI glasses launching this fall, and multiple manufacturers are releasing new products in quick succession, positioning AI glasses as the next computing gateway after smartphones. Under this trend, optical display components and main control chips in the upstream supply chain have become key areas of value.

1. Market Momentum: From Concept to a Scalable Turning Point

IDC's latest forecast shows that China's smart glasses market shipments will reach 4.508 million units in 2026, officially entering a new phase of scalable growth.

Market Trends: Since the second quarter, companies such as Rongchuang Innovation and Alibaba Qianwen have launched new products intensively. At I/O 2026, Google announced that AI glasses equipped with Gemini will be released in the autumn.

Competitive Landscape: The industry has moved beyond simple parameter comparisons to compete on overall user experience. Wear comfort, practical AI functions, and ecosystem development are now the key factors shaping the market landscape.

2. Supply Chain Decoded: Optics and Chips Build a Technological Moat

The hardware value of AI glasses lies mainly in optical display components (roughly 50% of the cost) and main control chips (roughly 20%–30% of the cost).

Chasing Light: To handle outdoor bright light scenarios and achieve lightweight designs, MicroLED display technology has become a top priority for leading companies. Combined with optical solutions like resin waveguides, mainstream product weight is dropping from 70–90 grams to under 50 grams, improving all-day wearability.

Chasing Chips: As the central hub for AI computing, the main control chip must balance low power consumption with high performance.

3. Capital Trends: A-share Companies Like Hengxuan Technology Accelerate Their Positioning

In the chip sector, A-share listed company Hengxuan Technology is continuously investing to secure its position in core areas.

Optimizing Fund-raising Projects: Recently, Hengxuan Technology adjusted its fundraising usage structure, increasing the planned investment amount for the "Smart Glasses SoC Chip" project from 150 million yuan to 200 million yuan. This adjustment aims to fully leverage the company's competitive advantages in the smart glasses field and accelerate R&D progress.

Technical Layout: Hengxuan Technology has released several low-power AI audio SoC chips and is focused on developing a proprietary 6nm process smart glasses SoC. Its BES2800 series products have been adopted by multiple smart glasses projects.

4. Future Outlook

Although the industry generally believes that the "iPhone moment" for AI glasses has not yet arrived (expected around 2027–2028), ongoing technological advancements along the supply chain are boosting edge computing power, driving AI glasses to rapidly evolve from geek toys into daily essentials. In the future, AI capabilities will become a standard feature, deeply integrated into the hardware ecosystem, breaking niche positioning through practical functions like automatic focusing, and fully opening the next generation of interaction revolution.