anytime soon. In an exclusive interview with EE Times, Asghar revealed that the U.S. chip giant is already ahead of smaller rivals in a market that has more than doubled since last year, based on data from market researcher Counterpoint.
Whatโs driving this growth? Native AI integration. For the first time, smart glasses powered by Qualcommโs technology can handle voice commands to record videos and identify objects that the wearer doesnโt recognize โ all in real-time.
Qualcommโs AR1 chip lineup is already powering some of the biggest names in the industry, including Metaโs Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses, as well as models from Xiaomi, Alibaba, and even Googleโs first Android-powered smart glasses.
The company is positioning itself at the heart of the AR revolution, betting big on a future where AI-driven smart eyewear becomes as common as smartphones today.
โAsghar highlighted that every new chip they launch is capable of running a billion-parameter small language model (SLM) directly on the smart glasses themselves. โNo one else in the world can do this,โ he said proudly. โThereโs no need to rely on the cloud or even a connected phone โ it all happens right on the device.โโ
๐บ๐๐๐๐๐: ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐ ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ฏ1 2025 ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐๐
Asghar, who spent 15 years at Qualcomm working on technologies crucial for extended reality, says what fascinates him most about smart glasses is their ability to โseeโ what the wearer sees through the camera.
โThatโs where multi-modal AI comes into play,โ Asghar explained. โWhen I ask a question to my AI assistant โ whether itโs running on the glasses, on the phone, or remotely โ it can use that visual information along with everything else to give me a smarter answer.โ
Multi-modal AI refers to models that can process and generate different types of data, like text, images, audio, and video. By combining multiple data sources, these models can deliver far more accurate and context-aware results than systems trained on text alone.
For the first time, Qualcomm has managed to make its AR1 and AR1+ chips small enough to fit inside regular eyeglass frames.
โThey deliver top-notch imaging performance,โ Asghar said. โImagine sitting in a dimly lit restaurant at night. Even with minimal light, the glasses can read the menu and instantly translate it into your language.โ
Qualcomm and Counterpoint Research both expect the smart glasses market to grow rapidly in the coming years.
According to Counterpoint, the industry is projected to see a compound annual growth rate of over 60% through 2029, driving the development of an entirely new supply chain.
โThis explosive growth will benefit everyone in the ecosystem โ from smart glasses makers and chip vendors to component suppliers, manufacturing partners, and even traditional eyewear brands,โ the Counterpoint report noted.
๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
โSmart glasses should feel like they give you superpowers,โ Asghar said.
He recalled an experience in China with one of Qualcommโs partners:
โThe entire meeting was in Mandarin, and they handed me these glasses. As people spoke, I could see the full English translation popping up right on my display. Thatโs the kind of magic these devices can deliver.โ
According to Ziad, many of Qualcommโs partners are gearing up to scale production of the first smart glasses with built-in displays, with launches expected over the next 12 to 18 months.
