Watching dramas on your phone or tablet, or staring at a computer screen for work, has long become a part of our daily life. But at some point, this experience started to feel less satisfying and less fulfilling.
Whether you want to watch an IMAX movie in the cabin at ten thousand meters high, have a private and immersive big screen for work in a café, or pursue the ultimate visual immersion in games, traditional electronic screens always seem to fall short.
Gen Z consumers are declaring with their choices: simple watching is outdated, what they crave is immersive experiences anytime, anywhere.
It is this urgent demand for big screen freedom that has given rise to a brand new category——AR glasses.
Image source:Google
The market response also confirms this trend. According toMarket.us research data:
In 2024, the global market size for AR smart glasses reached $17.6 billion, and is expected to grow to $69.8 billion by 2034, with a compound annual growth rate as high as 14.7% over the years.
Among them, North America holds the leading position, with a market share of36%, generating $6.3 billion in revenue, showing its popularity.
Image source:Market.us
On this seemingly niche but infinitely promising track, besides the international giants like Meta, Apple, Samsung, there are also many rising forces from China.
The brand to be introduced today,XREAL, is the most eye-catching dark horse among them.
Starting as a startup team, and ranking first in global shipments for4 consecutive years, how did it manage to make a mark overseas?
Image source:Google
Top student entrepreneurship, redefining“another screen” with technology
According to public information,the story of XREAL began with a typical top student entrepreneur.
Mr. Xu, born in 1984, studied undergraduate at Zhejiang University Chu Kochen College, then went to the US for further study, earning a PhD at the University of Minnesota, majoring in CPU/GPU architecture.
After graduation, he first joined NVIDIA as an architecture engineer, then enteredthe well-known AR startup Magic Leap as a senior algorithm engineer.
His experience atMagic Leap made Mr. Xu truly feel the shock brought by AR technology for the first time. The seamless integration of virtual and reality, the brand new interactive experience far beyond traditional terminals, made him deeply aware of the huge potential of the AR industry.
Image source:Google
In 2016, he resolutely quit his high-paying job in Silicon Valley, decided to return to China to start a business, and devoted himself to this highly challenging track.
In early 2017, after half a year of industry research, Mr. Xu gathered classmates and juniors from Zhejiang University and officially founded the brand in Beijing.
In 2019, XREAL launched its first consumer-grade AR glasses Nreal Light, with a total weight of only about 106g, supporting direct connection to mobile phones, officially kicking off the commercialization of consumer-grade AR glasses.
This product quickly entered the US, Japan, and European markets, and deeply cooperated with local operators and e-commerce platforms,making XREAL the first Chinese AR brand to achieve large-scale Tuke.
Image source:Google
After that,XREAL forged ahead. In 2020, its global shipments surpassed Microsoft, entering the forefront of the industry.
The brand continued to iterate, successively launchingNreal Air, Nreal Air 2 and other popular series, further reducing the weight to 79g and 49g, lowering the price to the $399 range, accurately targeting high-frequency scenarios such as watching movies, gaming, and mobile office, quickly winning the hearts of global consumers.
The hardcore product strength brought direct market returns. From2022 to now, XREAL has ranked first in global sales and market share of consumer-grade AR glasses for four consecutive years. As of June 2025, the total shipments of its products have exceeded 700,000 units, becoming the AR glasses brand with the widest global user coverage.
In regional markets, its performance is equally strong, with market shares in North America, Europe, and Japan reaching43.9%, 39.4%, and over 70%, all ranking first.
As lightweightAR glasses accelerate towards the masses, XREAL has become one of the most explosive brands on this track.
Image source:IDC
Not just hardcore, skillfully using social media to let the product“speak for itself”
However, focusing on lightweight design and core technology is onlypart of XREAL's success.
Consumer-gradeAR glasses, as a new category, are still relatively unfamiliar to most users. More importantly, these products rely heavily on real experience; without personally trying them, it's hard to understand their value.
How to bring the product and experience“to” users and build trust became the key to breaking through. With this in mind, global popular social platforms like TikTok naturally became the perfect battleground for XREAL to communicate with users.
XREAL's approach on TikTok is very clear:centered on influencer collaboration, with differentiated content strategies for different markets.
In the European and American markets, which value hardcore product strength,XREAL chooses to deeply cooperate with tech influencers, using professional explanations, feature demonstrations, and real tests to help users intuitively understand the technical value of the product.
For example, tech influencer @imparkerburton, who has3.4 million followers, filmed a promotional video for XREAL Air 2 pro. He first explains the features in detail, then connects the phone for real-world operation, and simultaneously shows the real-time view inside the glasses, greatly enhancing the audience's sense of immersion.
Image source:TikTok
This video eventually garnered2.6 million views and 137,300 likes. In the comments, many users engaged in heated discussions about the technical details of the product.
Such content endorsed by professional influencers can precisely reach the core tech audience and greatly help improve the product's professional recognition and trust.
Image source:TikTok
In the Asian market, users prefer more lifestyle and scenario-based content,focusing on whether the product can add fun and convenience to daily life.
For this,XREAL collaborates with home lifestyle influencers, using real daily clips to let AR glasses naturally integrate into life.
For example, TikTok home lifestyle influencer @downittayaa, who has206,300 followers, once filmed a promotional short video for the brand.
Image source:TikTok
In the video, the influencer first unboxes andshowstheproduct'sbuttondetails, thenconnects to a tablet,showingrealscenarios ofoffice and home movie watching, close to ordinary people's daily life.
Currently, this promotional video has received2.3 million views and 111,300 likes. It attracted many interested users to leave comments asking aboutprice, wearing comfort, display effect and other purchase decisionrelatedquestions.
This fully showsthatreal, scenario-based content close to life can better stimulate the interest and purchase desire of ordinary overseas consumers, thus effectively driving conversion.
Image source:TikTok
Conclusion
Looking at the current global consumer market,AR glasses are steadily moving from a niche concept in the geek circle to the mainstream. The maturity of technology, the improvement of the supply chain, and consumers' desire for immersive experiences are together pushing this category to the tipping point of explosion.
For companies intending Tuke, this is undoubtedly a time window worth seizing. User education in overseas markets has already shown initial results, and the acceptance of online and offline channels is increasing.
Entering the game now, you no longer need to start from scratch like the pioneers. As long as you focus on polishing the product, truly solve users' pain points in specific scenarios, and skillfully use social platforms to build sincere communication with users, you have the chance to find your place in this blue ocean.
The wind has already risen, how high you can fly depends on your own preparation.
Short answer for decision makers
This TikTok business signal should be used as a planning prompt, not a standalone trend. The practical question is whether your brand has the market readiness, creator supply, Shop conversion path, paid-media structure, and reporting cadence to act on it now.
Key facts
- Market signal: TikTok marketing tips - short video marketing methods
- Published: March 20, 2026
- Source transparency: the original source linked in this article
Tuke recommendation
Choose one market, one product group, one creator cohort, and one KPI for the next operating cycle. Then align creative testing, TikTok Shop optimization, live commerce readiness, and weekly reporting around that single decision.
What should brands do with this TikTok signal?
Brands should translate the signal into a focused operating test across creative, creators, TikTok Shop readiness, paid media, and reporting before increasing budget.
How does Tuke Marketing evaluate this kind of news?
Tuke Marketing reviews platform news through market timing, category demand, creator supply, commerce readiness, and measurable growth actions.
When should a team contact Tuke about this topic?
A team should contact Tuke when it needs to turn a TikTok market signal into a practical launch, creator, advertising, live commerce, or reporting plan.
Source transparency: Tuke cites the original source linked in this article and adds its own operating analysis for brands evaluating TikTok growth decisions.