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โขFreshcollected in 13m
BES chips power the 'night shift' in AI glasses
๐กUnderstand the hardware architecture behind the next generation of AI wearables and the race for integrated chips.
โก 30-Second TL;DR
What Changed
BES provides low-power 'always-on' chips for AI glasses, acting as a secondary processor.
Why It Matters
The shift toward integrated, power-efficient AI glasses hardware is crucial for enabling all-day wearable AI assistants.
What To Do Next
If building hardware, evaluate the power-to-performance ratio of BES chips versus Qualcomm's AR platforms for your specific AI use case.
Who should care:Developers & AI Engineers
Key Points
- โขBES provides low-power 'always-on' chips for AI glasses, acting as a secondary processor.
- โขThe company is developing the BES6100 to combine low-power and high-performance cores in one chip.
- โขMarket competition is intensifying as smartphone brands develop proprietary chips.
- โขGlobal smart glasses shipments grew 44% in 2025, reaching 14.77 million units.
๐ง Deep Insight
AI-generated analysis for this event.
๐ Enhanced Key Takeaways
- โขBES (Hengxuan Technology) has historically focused on TWS (True Wireless Stereo) audio SoCs, leveraging its expertise in ultra-low-power Bluetooth connectivity to pivot into the AI wearable market.
- โขThe company's strategy involves a 'dual-core' architecture approach, where the low-power core manages sensor fusion and voice activity detection (VAD) to extend battery life in compact form factors.
- โขBES has successfully integrated its chips into major consumer electronics ecosystems, including partnerships with leading Chinese smartphone OEMs that are aggressively expanding into the AR/AI glasses segment.
- โขThe shift toward the BES6100 series represents a strategic move to reduce the bill-of-materials (BOM) cost for manufacturers by eliminating the need for a separate discrete MCU or co-processor.
- โขIndustry data indicates that BES is increasingly competing with established players like Qualcomm and Airoha by offering more flexible, customizable SDKs for local AI model deployment on edge devices.
๐ Competitor Analysisโธ Show
| Feature | BES (Hengxuan) | Qualcomm (Snapdragon AR) | Airoha (MediaTek) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Low-power/Audio-centric | High-performance/Compute | Mid-range/Connectivity |
| Integration | High (SoC + Audio) | Very High (Full Platform) | Moderate (Connectivity) |
| AI Capability | Edge-optimized (NPU) | Advanced (Hexagon DSP) | Basic (NPU) |
| Market Position | Cost-effective/Efficient | Premium/Flagship | Value/Mass Market |
๐ ๏ธ Technical Deep Dive
- BES6100 Architecture: Utilizes a heterogeneous multi-core design combining high-efficiency RISC-V cores for background tasks and a dedicated NPU for local AI inference.
- Power Management: Implements proprietary dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) specifically tuned for 'always-on' voice and gesture recognition.
- Connectivity: Supports multi-protocol wireless standards including Bluetooth 5.4 and low-latency proprietary links for real-time audio/data synchronization.
- Memory Integration: Features on-chip SRAM optimization to minimize external DRAM access, significantly reducing power consumption during AI model execution.
๐ฎ Future ImplicationsAI analysis grounded in cited sources
BES will capture over 20% of the AI glasses co-processor market by 2027.
The trend toward integrated SoCs reduces hardware complexity, favoring suppliers that can combine audio and AI processing at a lower price point than premium competitors.
Smartphone OEMs will increasingly adopt proprietary silicon, threatening third-party chip suppliers.
Major brands are investing in in-house AI chips to differentiate their hardware, which may limit the addressable market for independent suppliers like BES in the high-end segment.
โณ Timeline
2015-06
Hengxuan Technology (BES) is founded in Shanghai, focusing on audio SoCs.
2020-12
BES completes its IPO on the Shanghai Stock Exchange STAR Market.
2023-05
Company announces expansion into wearable AI processors, moving beyond traditional TWS audio chips.
2025-09
BES reports significant shipment growth as AI-enabled smart glasses gain mainstream traction.
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