February 27 news – Alibaba's personal AI assistant "Qwen" is officially moving into hardware. They plan to release several different kinds of AI products this year, and they'll be selling them worldwide.
The first one is called the Qwen AI Glasses (same name as the AI). It'll be officially shown off at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. Pre-orders open both online and in stores starting March 2.
From what people are saying, the Quark AI Glasses that are already out and the new Qwen AI Glasses come from the exact same team. They use the same tech, algorithms, software, and hardware. The only difference is that future models will all carry the global "Qwen" brand name. If you already bought a Quark AI Glasses, don't worry – it'll keep getting the same updates and full access to Qwen's AI features.
Alibaba wants to turn Qwen into an AI helper that works across phones, glasses, and whatever else. Stuff you already do in the Qwen app – like ordering takeout or getting a ride – should work straight from the glasses too. The glasses can see what's around you, so it'll feel more natural.
Apparently, besides the glasses, they'll roll out things like an AI ring and AI earbuds later this year, and those will also go on sale globally.
Just for reference, the Quark AI Glasses G1 came out in November last year, starting at 1,999 yuan after subsidy (around $280). It has Qualcomm AR1 + Bestechnic BES2800 chips, a 272mAh battery (they claim 9 hours of mixed use), 5 mics with bone-conduction pickup, and a 12MP camera that can shoot 3K video. This G1 version doesn't have any display on the lenses, so it's simpler than the fancier models.
