ByteDance has reportedly abandoned its original Doubao AI glasses design and moved ahead with two second-generation devices, as competition around camera-equipped AI glasses intensifies in China.
Image from Pandaily
According to China tech news outfit Pandaily, citing upstream supply-chain sources, ByteDance has dropped its first planned Doubao AI glasses model before launch and accelerated work on two Gen 2 products.
ByteDance has not announced either device, and details around specifications, suppliers, pricing and release dates remain unclear.
ByteDance Reworks Its First Smart Glasses Push
The decision to move past the original design could reflect the familiar hardware compromises facing smart glasses manufacturers.
Camera quality, battery life, weight, heat, processing power and price all compete for space inside a frame people are expected to wear for hours. Meta has already spent several product generations refining that balance through its Ray-Ban and Oakley partnerships.
ByteDance enters the category with its own advantages. The company already operates Doubao, one of China’s largest consumer AI assistants, alongside Douyin, TikTok, CapCut and PICO.
A camera-equipped wearable could give Doubao access to voice commands, first-person images and the wearer’s surroundings. ByteDance could also connect the glasses with its existing content and social platforms, although no integrations have been confirmed.
The report has already started circulating through Chinese smart glasses communities and Reddit but neither provides separate confirmation of the supply-chain claims.
Two Models Could Target Different Buyers
Developing two models would give ByteDance room to separate everyday AI glasses from a more capable camera or display product.
One device could focus on lightweight voice, photography and AI assistance. A second could carry stronger cameras, a display or more advanced computing. Pandaily’s report does not provide enough verified detail to place either model into a clear category.
ByteDance also has experience across consumer hardware and XR through PICO. Its smart glasses work won’t need to begin with an entirely new software ecosystem or AI assistant.
China’s AI Glasses Market Is Getting Crowded
ByteDance would enter a Chinese market already attracting hardware makers, AI companies and consumer electronics brands.
Alibaba, Xiaomi, Baidu, Huawei, Rokid and other companies are developing different combinations of cameras, displays, voice assistants and AI services. Meta remains the clearest international benchmark for camera-equipped glasses that look close to normal eyewear.
ByteDance still needs to prove it can turn Doubao into a wearable product people will buy and keep using. Moving directly to two Gen 2 designs shows the project remains active despite the original model being dropped.
ByteDance hasn’t confirmed either device, but with two new designs reportedly moving forward, this one could develop quickly. Watch this space.
