New to this? Read it in simple words
- Alibaba began selling two AI glasses, the N1 and the N1 Pro, in China on October 13.
- After discounts, prices start at 2,218 yuan for the N1 and 2,600 yuan for the Pro.
- The glasses run Alibaba’s Qwen assistant for tasks such as translation and notes.
- The Pro adds control with the eyes and payment by iris scan, Alibaba says.
- AI glasses
- Glasses with a camera, microphones and speakers that connect to an AI assistant.
- Iris scan
- A camera reads the coloured ring of the eye, which is different for every person, to identify them.
- Subsidy
- Money from a government or a seller that lowers the price a buyer pays.
Alibaba first showed its new AI glasses at its Apsara conference in September. From October 13, buyers in China can get them in the big online shops.
On sale in China
The N1 and the N1 Pro went on sale on October 13 on Taobao, Tmall, JD.com and Douyin. Pre-orders had opened on September 22.
After subsidies and launch discounts, the N1 starts at 2,218 yuan and the N1 Pro at 2,600 yuan. The glasses are sold only in China for now. A listing in Hong Kong is still pending, unwire.hk reports.
The N1 and N1 Pro as Alibaba and the reports describe them on October 13; specifications are Alibaba’s own.
What Alibaba says the glasses do
Both models have a 50-megapixel camera, and their batteries sit in the arms of the glasses and can be swapped. These are Alibaba’s own specifications.
The glasses run Alibaba’s Qwen assistant. Alibaba names translation, meeting notes, reminders and help with shopping and payments.
The N1 Pro adds eye tracking, so the wearer can control it with their eyes. It also adds payment by iris scan, which identifies a person by the coloured ring of the eye.
Alibaba has not said which Qwen model runs the glasses, or how much of the work happens on the glasses rather than on its servers.
Earbuds, and a bigger plan
Alibaba also showed Qwen Clip, earbuds that clip on to the ear and leave it open. Alibaba says they were tuned with Bose and run the Qwen assistant for translation and notes.
“Qwen’s goal is to become everyone’s Personal Agent,” Song Gang said, according to Yicai. Song is a vice president of Alibaba’s Qwen business, and calls the wearables Qwen’s step into the physical world.
Sources
Every fact in this story comes from the sources below. Open them to check our work.
- 1Primary source · September 25, 2026Alibaba Unveils Agentic Computer, AI Wearables and More at 2026 Apsara Conference Alibaba Cloud (Alizila)
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The features are Alibaba’s own claims, and no outside review has tested the glasses yet. Reports give different list prices, so we give only the prices after discounts, which they agree on.
Alibaba’s AI glasses went on sale in China, but the Pro’s iris-scan payment raises a new privacy question for buyers. How we rate the mood