NOVEMBERASIA BUSINESS OUTLOOK9Alibaba Group has officially entered the AI-powered smart glasses market with the launch of its Quark AI Glasses, priced at 4,699 yuan (US$660).Pre-sales begin on October 24, 2025, with shipments expected in December 2025, marking Alibaba's strategic move into AI wearable technology.Powered by Alibaba's Qwen large language model and Quark AI assistant, the Quark AI Glasses support hands-free calling, music streaming, and real-time language translation across 100+ languages. Designed for productivity and daily convenience, they position Alibaba as a direct competitor to Meta's smart glasses and Xiaomi's AI eyewear. The glasses will debut on Tmall, JD.com, and Douyin, with no overseas release yet confirmed.Core app integrations, including Alipay, Taobao, and Amap, will initially remain China-only, reinforcing a domestic-first strategy.The Quark AI Glasses leverage Alibaba Cloud's Model Studio, where Qwen APIs are available on a pay-as-you-go basis. The Qwen3 models powering the Quark assistant offer improved reasoning and human preference alignment, allowing developers to build custom AI applications with token-based pricing and context caching for cost efficiency.Industry watchers note that Alibaba's entry strengthens China's position in the AI wearables and AR smart glasses market, potentially reshaping competition in Asia's fast-growing AI hardware ecosystem. Starlink, SpaceX's unit for satellite internet in India, has begun its security testing in India as it nears the start of its commercial broadband services.The tests form part of India's security authorization for telecom carriers, with further technical and regulatory processes still ahead of starting a commercial launch.Starlink must await the TRAI final price framework for services via satellite in India, which is expected to happen by the end of 2025, and which may potentially enable its launch of commercial satellite service in 2026.Sources indicate that SpaceX is developing at least 10 satellite internet gateways in India, with timelines for development ahead of competing plans--such as Reliance Jio's Space Fiber and Eutelsat's OneWeb.The company's hub India will be located in Mumbai, with three ground stations already confirmed constructed, and on-site tests expected soon.Earlier this year, Indian authorities approved aspects of Starlink's operations and associated satellite frequency bands, after an extensive regulatory process. ALIBABA LAUNCHES QUARK AI GLASSES AT $660 IN CHINASPACEX STARLINK STARTS SATELLITE INTERNET TESTING IN INDIANEWSROOM· Alibaba launches Quark AI Glasses at ¥4,699 ($660) in China· Powered by Qwen AI with translation, music, and calling features· Competes with Meta and Xiaomi in the AI wearables market· Starlink begins security testing in India ahead of commercial satellite broadband launch.· SpaceX plans 10 satellite gateways across India, with Mumbai hub and ground stations under development.· TRAI's final price framework expected by end-2025 could enable Starlink's commercial services in 2026.
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