Alibaba Qwen N1 AI glasses go on sale in China

Posted on Oct 15 • Originally published at techaiwire.com

Alibaba began selling its Qwen N1 and N1 Pro AI glasses in China on October 13, 2026. The N1 starts at 2,999 yuan, about $450, before discounts, The Next Web reports, citing Bloomberg. The launch puts Alibaba's Qwen AI assistant into glasses with a camera, microphones and payments built in.

Both models have a 50-megapixel camera that records 4K video. Users talk to the Qwen assistant by voice, through microphones that pick up sound through the bones of the head. The assistant can translate, take meeting notes, help with shopping and handle payments, according to The Next Web.

The batteries sit in the temples, the arms that rest over the ears. TechNode reports that users can swap them while wearing the glasses, so the device does not have to shut down.

Song Gang, a vice president in Alibaba's Qwen business, described the glasses as a second pair of eyes and ears for the wearer. The Next Web reports this, citing the Chinese site ZOL.

Sources give two sets of prices, 100 yuan apart. The Next Web, citing Bloomberg, gives the list prices. TechNode, citing the Chinese site IT Home, gives the starting price of each standard package.

Bloomberg's figure for the N1 is 25 hours on standby or 9 hours of music per charge. Government subsidies and launch offers can cut the N1 to as little as 2,218 yuan, The Next Web reports, citing Yahoo Finance Hong Kong.

The N1 Pro adds three features the base model lacks:

The glasses are sold on Taobao, Tmall, JD.com and Douyin. Alibaba first showed them at its Apsara conference in September and opened pre-orders on September 22. The company also launched Qwen Clip, its first AI earbuds, made with Bose, for 1,299 yuan.

Smart glasses are a crowded field, and privacy is the main fight. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill on smart glasses recording earlier this month. In Europe, the optician chain Hans Anders pulled Ray-Ban Meta glasses over privacy concerns. Alibaba's glasses add two new privacy questions: iris scans and health data on a device tied to a shopping and payment company.

For developers, the Qwen N1 matters mostly as a sign of where Alibaba wants its AI to run. Alibaba already offers Qwen models to developers through its cloud. Glasses with a camera, microphones and payment built in give those models a way into daily life in China. Neither source says whether outside developers can build apps for the glasses, so treat it as a closed device for now.

For product teams that sell into China, the payment link is the part to watch. Iris-confirmed payments through Alibaba's shopping apps could become another checkout route to support, much like phone wallets did.

This article was first published on Tech AI Wire.

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