New York, April 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Executives of Rokid, a pioneer in wearable technologies, met with Catherine Pollard, UN Under-Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy, and Compliance, who experienced Rokid’s AI-powered smart glasses at Rokid’s Deqing office. This meeting reaffirmed Rokid’s position as a leading contributor to shaping the future of smart glasses amid growing global demand.
“We’re honored to have such distinguished guests experience the Rokid Glasses’ AI capabilities,” said Zoro Shao, Global General Manager of Rokid. “As pillars of global cooperation, UN members exemplify how Rokid’s real-time translation can help reduce language barriers in critical work. We’re excited to see the impact of our innovation on the world stage, from tech enthusiasts to global leaders.”
According to Counterpoint Research[1], global AR smart glasses shipments rose 98 percent year-on-year in 2025, reaching a record high for the market. Shipments of waveguide-based glasses saw a particularly sharp increase, up 611 percent year-on-year in H2 2025.
Among the key players driving this growth, the report named Rokid as the leading OEM by shipment volume in 2025, attributing this success to strong initial sales momentum and a successful production ramp-up of Rokid Glasses. As global interest in AI-powered eyewear continues to expand, Rokid has also drawn attention from both international institutions and industry leaders. In addition to the recent visit by Catherine Pollard, Rokid also welcomed Margherita Della Valle, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Group, and Scott Petty, Chief Technology Officer of Vodafone Group, to its Deqing, Zhejiang headquarters, where they experienced the company’s smart glasses firsthand.
Amid overall rising demand, real-time translation has emerged as a key feature for the success of smart glasses. According to Market Report Analytics[2], the global market for real-time translation smart glasses–valued at $500 million in 2025–is projected to grow at a 25 percent CAGR through 2033, reaching approximately $2.5 billion, driven in part by rapid advances in AI.
Building on this momentum, Rokid will officially launch its flagship smart glasses in Europe on April 29, marking another key milestone in the company’s global expansion. Following the European debut, Rokid will continue introducing its flagship products across key Asia-Pacific markets, including Indonesia, South Korea, and Australia, underscoring the company’s accelerating international footprint in 2026.
About Rokid
Founded in 2014, Rokid is a global pioneer in augmented reality (AR) and AI, creating human-centered smart glasses that integrate intelligence seamlessly into everyday life. The company has introduced a range of innovations across AI and AR hardware, including the first open AI ecosystem for wearables, dual-chip architecture, multilingual voice interaction, intuitive AI shortcuts, and mass-produced smart glasses with display capabilities.
Rokid serves consumers, developers, and enterprises worldwide and hosts China's largest XR developer community, with over 30,000 registered developers. The company has received multiple CES Innovation Awards and five German iF Design Awards. For more information, visit global.rokid.com.
[1](2026, April 9). Global AR Smart Glasses Shipments Grow 148% YoY in H2 2025; Waveguide-based Devices Surge Over 600% [Review of Global AR Smart Glasses Shipments Grow 148% YoY in H2 2025; Waveguide-based Devices Surge Over 600%]. Counterpoint Research. https://counterpointresearch.com/en/insights/Global-AR-Smart-Glasses-Shipments-Grow-148-Percent-YoY-in-H2-2025-Waveguide-based-Devices-Surge-Over-600-Percent
[2](2025, April 18). Real-time Translation Smart Glasses Industry Growth Trends and Analysis [Review of Real-time Translation Smart Glasses Industry Growth Trends and Analysis]. Market Report Analytics; Market Report Analytics. https://www.marketreportanalytics.com/reports/real-time-translation-smart-glasses-67760?tab=summary
Joy Li Rokid branding@rokid.com
