Alibaba Unveils Qwen Glasses N1 Smart Glasses with 50-Megapixel Camera

Alibaba has launched the Qwen Glasses N1, a smart glasses model available exclusively in mainland China, featuring a 50-megapixel camera that surpasses the 12-megapixel camera on Meta's latest Ray-Ban Gen 3 glasses. The device offers extended battery life, with 25 hours on standby and nine hours of music playback, compared to roughly six hours for Meta's Ray-Ban glasses. The Pro edition includes eye-tracking technology via a 1.7mm camera that monitors the user's gaze to enhance query responses and enables biometric authentication. Integrated with Alipay, the glasses allow users to confirm payments by looking at a QR code. Additional features include an onboard AI assistant and a health sensor on the nose bridge that tracks temperature. The Qwen Glasses N1 start at 2,999 yuan ($450), positioning them at a similar price point to Meta's offerings. Bloomberg notes that Alibaba is competing on quality rather than price, positioning itself as China's full-stack AI provider, offering data center infrastructure, software, and consumer products. The glasses are not available outside mainland China. Meanwhile, Meta has released a new pair of audio-only smart glasses without a camera, following privacy backlash; these are praised for being lightweight and less intrusive. It remains uncertain whether all features of the Qwen Glasses N1 function as advertised, but there is no comparable product in the U.S. market.