Hua Xia Shi Bao·2026-01-07 14:17Core Viewpoint - The investment by Chinese telecom operators in Thunderbird Innovation marks a strategic move to position themselves in the next generation of personal communication terminals, particularly in the AR smart glasses market, which is expected to reach a significant milestone akin to the "iPhone moment" in the coming years [2][3][4]. Group 1: Investment and Financing - Thunderbird Innovation has completed a new financing round exceeding 1 billion yuan, led by China Mobile's Chain Long Fund and CITIC Jinshi, with participation from China Unicom's Lianchuang Innovation Fund [3]. - Since its establishment in 2021, Thunderbird Innovation has attracted significant capital, with its previous financing round occurring just two months prior, setting a record for the largest single financing amount in the domestic AI+AR glasses sector for 2025 [3]. - The strategic investment from China Mobile and China Unicom signifies the formal entry of AR terminals into the strategic vision of national communication infrastructure [3]. Group 2: Market Position and Growth - According to Counterpoint Research, Thunderbird Innovation held a 24% global market share in AR glasses by Q3 2025, achieving the highest shipment volume globally for two consecutive quarters [4]. - The company has established a strong presence in international retail channels, with its products available in over 25 countries and regions, and a cumulative user base exceeding 500,000, with overseas sales increasing by 3.8 times year-on-year [4]. Group 3: Strategic Collaboration - The partnership with telecom operators will facilitate comprehensive collaboration in market channel development, business model innovation, and core technology ecosystems, leveraging the operators' extensive offline service networks and user bases [5]. - The introduction of the first AR smart glasses with eSIM technology, "Thunderbird X3 Pro Project eSIM," exemplifies the collaborative efforts between Thunderbird Innovation and telecom operators, enabling independent communication capabilities [5][6]. Group 4: Future Outlook - The integration of eSIM technology is expected to transform AR smart glasses into a complete personal computing center, capable of independent communication, computation, display, and interaction [6]. - The operators' involvement is anticipated to catalyze the growth of AR glasses sales in China, potentially reaching millions in volume by 2026-2027, thus accelerating their adoption as mainstream consumer devices [7].