If your normal glasses are uncomfortable or don’t fit right, you won’t want to wear them.
Making sure this doesn’t happen with a pair of smartglasses is the challenge faced by all manufacturers, whether they want to admit it or not.
As more companies work to build compelling products, design is clearly evolving at the same time.
I tried the new Qwen AI Glasses at MWC 2026, and was surprised to find they have solved one of the biggest fitment pain points: balance.
Smartglasses are in danger of being ruined, again, if people can’t stop being creepy
It’s Glassholes all over again
Meet Qwen
Don’t worry, Gwen and Queen both seem to work
You may not have heard of Qwen before, so here’s what you need to know.
It’s the name of Chinese mega-corporation Alibaba’s AI model, and it’s the main reason the Qwen AI Glasses exist.
The Qwen AI Glasses are Alibaba’s second smart eyewear project, after the S1 and G1 models, and the plan is to launch them globally, including in the US and the UK, later this year.
The AI assistant can help with the usual tasks, including translation, image recognition, and music playback, all from the wake word “Hey Qwennie.”
If you’re wondering about the pronunciation, in my tests, the glasses reacted the same regardless of whether I said it like “Gwennie” or “Queenie,” so don’t worry too much.
Weight distribution and balance
Getting the recipe right
There were two models for me to try, one with a screen in the lenses, and one without. The team didn’t confirm how different the models were to the Quark S1 and G1 models, but I suspect the underlying technology is very similar.
The model with the screen was most interesting, as it showcased the clever way the weight of the components was distributed in the arms.
Rather than spread the internal components throughout the arms, the majority of them were placed at the ends of the arms, along with crucial screen tech in the hinge area at the front.
The result is a curvier middle-section, and better weight distribution, despite heavier sections behind your ears.
I was surprised at how this didn’t feel uncomfortable. Take a look at the frames around the lenses, which are thinner than expected on a model with a screen.
I immediately noticed the benefit of less weight on the bridge of my nose.
Screen and voice commands
Both worked well
The balanced weight distribution means you have the chance to better enjoy the screens, which look great.
Embedded in each lens, green text overlays the real world, and you operate the software using buttons, gestures, and your voice.
Not only could I see the text easily in the bright Spanish sunlight, but the voice activation worked in a noisy outside environment too.
This was especially impressive given I was speaking normally, saying the AI’s name in different ways, and all in a British accent, which may not be something the glasses have been trained on.
For smart glasses with a screen, the Qwen AI Glasses felt, and mostly looked, quite normal. Far more so than the Meta Ray-Ban Display, which goes in the opposite direction in terms of design, and appears worse for it.
Smartglasses with screens in the lenses are really useful, but they need to look and feel great if people are to use them.
I could also hear Owen’s voice clearly through the speakers, although the intonation was far from the brilliance of Google Gemini.
The models without the screen were similar to many other regular smartglasses in terms of functionality, but still benefited from great balance and light weight.
Competition matters
Design is evolving
While my short demo of the Qwen smartglasses wasn’t enough to say if they’re worth buying, or if they’ll take on the best from Meta, it was fantastic to see not every company is stuck making smartglasses in exactly the same way.
Face shapes, sizes, and wear preferences all differ, and what one person likes, another may not. Having a wider choice, with different designs and ways of building smart eyewear, will help the category grow.
It has been predicted that 2026 will be a year of growth for smartglasses, and it’s only through more companies taking design seriously that this will happen.
The final release date and price for the Qwen AI Glasses hasn’t been announced yet. Reports also indicate Alibaba has plans for Qwen-powered AI earbuds and an AI smart ring too.
