Global smart glasses shipments logged triple-digit growth in the first half of this year. Meta leads the market for products without displays, while rivals such as Apple are also expected to enter.

On Aug. 21, the IT media outlet 9to5Mac reported that market research firm Counterpoint Research said global smart glasses shipments in the first half rose 263 percent from a year earlier. Products without displays accounted for 96 percent of total shipments. Shipments in this segment increased 258 percent from a year earlier.

In the market for smart glasses without screens, Meta posted a 94 percent share by shipments. Meta shipments rose 260 percent from a year earlier. Xiaomi and Alibaba each accounted for 1 percent, while other vendors made up 4 percent. By region, North America accounted for 50 percent and Western Europe 28 percent, concentrating shipments in those two regions.

Meta's growth was influenced by smart glasses developed in collaboration with Ray-Ban. EssilorLuxottica CEO Francesco Milleri (Francesco Milleri) previously said it sold more than 7 million smart glasses with Meta last year. That figure reflects full-year 2025 sales, and the tally period and criteria differ from the first-half shipment data.

As camera-equipped products spread, concerns about privacy violations are also growing. After reports of non-consensual filming and harassment, some countries are examining how smart glasses are used for recording and operation.

Against that backdrop, changes in the competitive landscape are expected. Apple is reported to be developing display-free smart glasses equipped with a camera, microphone and speaker, with a 2027 release discussed.

Meanwhile, shipments of smart glasses with displays rose 449 percent from a year earlier. The market is still small, making it difficult to judge mass adoption based on growth rates alone. In this segment, Rokid held 41 percent and Meta 37%, while China had the highest regional share at 45 percent.