Snap's AR Smart Glasses, Specs, Now Available for $2,195

Smart Glasses, Specs, Now Available for $2,195">

Snap, maker of the popular social app Snapchat, has released its new pair of augmented-reality smart glasses called Specs. This is the first actual consumer version of the Specs AR glasses, unlike the previous generation exclusively sold to developers and creators. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel revealed the new glasses at an event during the Augmented World Expo (AWE) tech conference in Long Beach, California.

The Specs cost $2,195 and can be preordered now with a refundable $220 deposit. Snap says it expects the devices to ship this fall in the US, UK, and France. Snap has not yet said which apps or features will be available on the new Specs.

The company's focus for these glasses is less on content capture and more on the AR experiences displayed on the screen, placed with the right depth and low latency to feel like a moving part of the environment. Snap has shown off lots of experiential features in its previous demo units, like fingerpainting in the air, following map directions, or manipulating a 3D model of a globe. The company says this unit will have some of the same features, including private display screens, Bluetooth capability, web browsing, AI-powered visual assistance, and a “wide variety” of AR experiences that understand the room and the objects around the wearer.

The Specs are chonky, with big rims, honking arms, and thick temple tips. They look something like Meta’s beefy Ray-Ban Display glasses , albeit with more rounded corners. The Specs also have an AR display that covers a 51-degree field of view in the center of your vision, unlike the Display’s bottom screen.

“Some might actually say that oversized glasses are on trend at the moment,” Spiegel said to WIRED in an interview ahead of AWE. “For us, it's less about following fashion trends and more about delivering truly standout capability.” “Specs will become meaningful because of the lenses you build,” Spiegel said onstage at AWE. Why this matters: The release of Snap's Specs marks a significant step forward in the development of consumer-focused AR technology.

While the high price point may limit adoption, the Specs' advanced features and capabilities could set a new standard for AR experiences. As developers begin to build on the platform, we can expect to see innovative applications across industries such as gaming, education, and healthcare. However, Snap still faces challenges in convincing consumers to adopt AR technology, and it remains to be seen whether the Specs will gain traction in the market.