Snap’s AR glasses bought some hate, however the brand new Specs look promising. Let’s see what occurs.
“I labored on these for a few yr at Snap, and I’ve 1,000,000 destructive issues to say concerning the expertise and the gadget, however I feel the product speaks for itself and is clearly dangerous,” stated Sterling Crispin, a former design engineer at Snap, concerning the Spectacles augmented-reality glasses. He stored the finer factors to himself attributable to NDA guidelines, however tech retailers took the phrases and ran wild. Snap’s repute took successful, and the backlash would possibly even observe the upcoming Snap AR glasses—Specs. The wearables shrink in measurement and really feel lighter than the model Snap gave to builders final yr.
Regardless of the tough suggestions, Snap isn’t sitting nonetheless. The oldsters behind Snapchat purpose to roll out their first pair of shopper AR glasses earlier than Meta. If one firm is available in stronger than the opposite, research say early launch wins. Delaying might crush the model with much less belief. To me, Snap’s taking part in it cool—and that’s uncommon. Again in 2018, The New York Instances reported solely 15% of individuals present true humility. So in a room of 10 CEOs, you would possibly solely spot one who retains it actual. Perhaps that form of mindset will give Snap an edge.
Snap Specs design and options
Snap Specs will are available smaller and lighter than Spectacles. Simply so you already know, Spectacles 5 weigh 7.97 oz. The brand new Specs gained’t want an out of doors battery, and the design will concentrate on making them cozy and simple to make use of. At first, the glasses will are available black, and there could be particular editions later, stated CEO Evan Spiegel in an interview.
The Specs embrace an AI assistant, allow you to play video games with mates, and supply a “workstation” the place you may browse the net and watch movies. With Spectacles, you might already use the companion app to show your cellphone right into a sport controller with Lenses, begin Spectator Mode so mates with out Spectacles can take part, mirror your cellphone display, and extra.
I get the sensation Snap AR glasses will put extra effort into consolation and value. The corporate hinted in a press launch that they needed one thing completely different from smartphones. “The tiny smartphone restricted our creativeness. It compelled us to look down at a display, as an alternative of up on the world,” Snap stated.
Because of a Snap OS replace, Specs will work with completely different AI fashions, together with ones from OpenAI and Google, so builders can construct AI-powered Lenses that reply to varied inputs immediately. The gadget may even deal with options like AI textual content translation, foreign money conversion, and recipe strategies based mostly on what’s in your fridge. I like that Snap offers digital camera entry with privateness in thoughts by way of their very own Distant Service Gateway.
Snap has been engaged on good glasses for a very long time, however early variations centered extra on capturing photographs and movies as an alternative of augmented actuality. With Meta seeing success from its Ray-Bans glasses and planning to launch AR glasses known as Artemis in 2027, Snap feels a brand new push to carry {hardware} to common customers.
Folks typically speak about Google, Apple, and Meta racing to make AR glasses, however others are within the sport, too. XREAL is growing its personal pair known as Venture Aura. Past understanding it is going to run on Android XR, particulars stay scarce. At Augmented World Expo 2025, XREAL didn’t present new photographs or demos, however shared that Aura gained’t depend on a cellphone for processing. As an alternative, it is going to connect with a separate puck-like gadget for its computing energy. Previous AR glasses have struggled with quick battery life, restricted makes use of, and steep costs, so I’m curious how demanding Aura can be on energy.
Parting ideas
In order that’s the place we’re at with Snap and the way forward for AR glasses. I’ve seen the ups and downs firsthand, and whereas the street’s bumpy, Snap’s not tapping out. They’re aiming for one thing that matches into individuals’s lives, not simply one other tech flex. Between the design tweaks, AI smarts, and that quiet confidence, I feel Snap’s taking a wise swing.