At BEYOND Expo 2026, XREAL CEO predicts an iPhone moment for AI glasses

▤ Summary

XREAL CEO Xu Chi used BEYOND Expo 2026 to argue that AI glasses could reach an iPhone-like inflection point. He said XREAL has a long-term partnership with Google and expects jointly developed products to launch later this year. He framed lightweight smart glasses as the clearest path to mass adoption, since bulky XR devices still face cost, weight, and battery-life barriers. He also said the real value of AI glasses will come from an always-on personal assistant that can understand the user’s surroundings in real time. The article closes by noting that ecosystem building and globalization remain major challenges for the category.

▦ Linked Companies

Google LLC

$100M to $250M

XREAL

$10M to $25M