# Meta holds 94% of the display-free AI glasses market Apple is reportedly chasing

Source: https://idevice.com/meta-holds-94-of-the-display-free-ai-glasses-market-apple-is-reportedly-chasing
Published: 2026-09-22

> AI glasses shipments more than tripled in the first half of 2026, but almost all of it is Meta, and nobody has published how many units that is.

Counterpoint Research says global AI glasses shipments rose 263% year over year in the first half of 2026. Glasses without a display made up 96% of them, and Meta held 94% of that segment, with Xiaomi and Alibaba at 1% each. North America took half of all display-free shipments and Western Europe 28%, according to the [full regional breakdown](https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/21/report-ai-glasses-shipments-surged-263-in-h1-2026-as-apple-prepares-to-enter-the-market/). The public summary gives no unit total, so the growth rate says more about momentum than about size.

Glasses with a display grew faster, 449%, from a much smaller base, and there Rokid leads with 41% ahead of Meta at 37% and Even Realities at 11%. Apple has not announced glasses, but it is reported to be building a display-free pair around cameras, speakers and Siri, with a launch targeted for 2027. That would put it in the part of the market Meta already owns.

## Sources

- [9to5Mac](https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/21/report-ai-glasses-shipments-surged-263-in-h1-2026-as-apple-prepares-to-enter-the-market/) (9to5Mac)