The N1 and N1 Pro models went on sale following a product presentation, with the standard N1 priced at 2,899 yuan and the N1 Pro at 3,399 yuan before applicable discounts. The premium model costs roughly $480, while the N1 is approximately $410. Promotional pricing and government subsidies can reduce the amounts paid by eligible customers.
Alibaba is positioning the devices as everyday interfaces for its Qwen AI assistant, allowing users to obtain information, record activities and complete tasks without continually reaching for a smartphone. The launch places the company in closer competition with established smart-glasses suppliers while extending its artificial intelligence products into physical devices.
Both models feature a 50-megapixel image sensor, support 4K video recording and incorporate image stabilisation, according to product details released at Tuesday’s event. Their cameras provide a first-person view that can be used for photography, video and AI-assisted recognition of surrounding objects.
The N1 Pro adds eye tracking, enabling the assistant to identify objects towards which a wearer is looking when answering questions. Alibaba also introduced iris-based verification for payments, combining biometric identification with functions intended to reduce the need to handle a phone during transactions.
The company said the premium glasses can monitor indicators including heart rate, blood oxygen and skin temperature. Those measurements are presented as wellness features rather than independently validated medical diagnostics. Their accuracy and suitability for clinical decisions have not been established through publicly available independent testing.
The standard N1 retains the camera and assistant functions but omits the Pro model’s eye-tracking, iris-payment and health-monitoring components. The distinction creates separate options for buyers seeking basic recording and AI assistance or the additional biometric and sensing capabilities.
Alibaba said the devices use a three-chip processing architecture and replaceable batteries built into their temples. It estimates combined operating endurance of nine hours for the N1 and eight hours for the N1 Pro, depending on usage. Wearers can exchange battery-equipped temples to extend operation without shutting down the glasses.
The assistant functions include translation, meeting notes, reminders and contextual information. Alibaba described an approach in which the glasses can recognise relevant situations and provide assistance proactively, rather than responding only after a user enters a question or activates a command.
That approach depends on the collection and processing of information from cameras, microphones and other sensors. Eye tracking and biometric payments also introduce questions about how sensitive data are protected, where they are processed and which services can access them. Detailed independent assessments of the new devices’ privacy and security safeguards were not available at launch.
The launch follows reservations that opened on 22 September, when Alibaba displayed the N1 series at its Apsara technology conference in Hangzhou. The company had identified 13 October as the date for official sales, making Tuesday’s event the start of retail availability rather than the first public appearance of the products.
Alibaba has been extending Qwen beyond software through several connected devices. Its accompanying Qwen Clip earbuds support face-to-face translation, voice-directed tasks and AI note-taking. The earbuds were developed with audio input from Bose, according to the company’s product announcement.
The wider hardware range includes Qwen Book, a computer combining Alibaba’s AI models, desktop operating system and cloud services, alongside QwenNote A2, a portable device designed to capture conversations and organise workplace information. These products illustrate the company’s attempt to integrate its assistant across multiple computing formats.
China’s smart-glasses market includes competing offerings from technology and eyewear manufacturers. Alibaba’s existing connections to shopping and payments provide potential uses beyond photography and audio, although compatibility with particular services and the availability of functions outside China may vary.
Alibaba has not provided independently audited sales projections for the new range. Retail demand will therefore be clearer only after orders and deliveries accumulate. Its announced features also remain subject to practical constraints, including battery consumption during video recording, voice recognition in noisy settings and the availability of supported payment systems.
Online retail listings on Tuesday showed a higher-capacity battery package priced at 3,297 yuan for the N1 and 3,797 yuan for the N1 Pro. Discounted introductory packages were also offered, with final prices dependent on eligibility for subsidies and promotional benefits.
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