BAIDU has launched its Xiaodu Pro AI smart glasses on major Chinese e-commerce platforms JD.com and Tmall, marking its latest push into the growing wearable AI market. Priced at 2,299 yuan (US$322), the glasses support photography, real-time translation, object recognition, voice memos, and AI-powered reminders. Unlike augmented reality glasses, the Xiaodu Pro does not include a display. The product enters a competitive field dominated by domestic brands such as Xiaomi, Huawei, and RayNeo — maker of the Ray-Ban Meta, which retails from US$299. Industry observers note that the Xiaodu Pro does not introduce disruptive hardware innovations. Instead, its competitive edge lies in Baidu’s integrated AI ecosystem, which incorporates large language model comprehension, search and mapping functions, and voice interaction technology. Still, smart glasses face adoption barriers. According to Xu Chi, founder of AR glasses maker Xreal, “The AI experience of smart glasses is still not as user-friendly as smartphones or AI apps,” citing unresolved technical challenges and limited application scenarios that require further refinement. Baidu is no stranger to smart glasses — it first announced the BaiduEye in 2014, though the product never launched due to ecosystem immaturity and limited practical use cases. Now, after an 11-year gap, Baidu is re-entering the market amid intensified competition from rivals including Xiaomi, Huawei, and Alibaba. The Chinese smart glasses market is expanding rapidly. According to International Data Corporation, shipments are expected to jump 121% year-on-year to over 2.9 million units by year end. Of these, about 2.17 million will be audio-focused models, while some 742,000 will be AR or VR glasses — representing annual growth of 178% and 38%, respectively. (SD-Agencies) | 