You can now pre-order AR smart glasses from a company that might surprise you
You can reserve a pair of AR glasses, expected to ship this fall, for a refundable deposit of $200.
Snap introduces AR glasses for consumers | Image by Snap
Surely you remember how Snap first positioned itself in the wearables world. Originally, the parent of social media app Snapchat had developed a pair of glasses called Spectacles that could record up to 30 seconds of video, 10 seconds at a time. Priced at $129.99, they were sold from vending machines initially placed on California beaches.
The second Spectacles, released in 2018, included water resistance and were 30% thinner. It also included improved audio, better HD video resolution, and a charging case that could provide up to four full charges. The currently offered model is the fifth-generation Spectacles, which were released to developers in September 2024.
Snap's new AR glasses for consumers are called SPECS, and they can be pre-ordered now
The fifth-gen Spectacles run on SnapOS with a 46-degree field of view, and are available for developers' use only. The fourth-generation model was also made for developers only. However, Snap announced today that it is returning to the consumer arena with its sixth-generation smart glasses that it is calling SPECS.
SPECS AR glasses from different angles.| Image by Snap
SPECS feature an augmented reality display, which means that through the lens, the user can see computer generated images overlaid on top of real world images. Snap calls its new AR glasses a "wearable computer built into see-through augmented reality glasses." They are available for pre-order today from SPECS.COM for $2,195 with a $200 refundable deposit. The glasses will ship this fall to the U.S., U.K., and France.
SPECS are the beginning of a new era in computing. For decades, computers have asked us to look down, sit still, or step out of the moment. SPECS bring computing into the world around us where we live, work, learn, create, and connect.
Evan Spiegel, co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc.
SPECS are offered in two sizes
Why might you wait to buy smart glasses this year
There are two variants. The 47mm version tips the scale at 132 grams, and the 52mm variant weighs 136 grams. The glasses use Snap’s proprietary liquid crystal on silicon display that delivers a 51-degree field of view. The SPECS can render 16 million colors, and the field of view is equivalent to a 24-inch desktop display for work or up to a 115-inch home cinema screen placed about 10 feet away.
The SPECS.COM website will let you virtually try on the glasses
The SPECS.COM website includes a feature that will allow you to virtually try on the glasses, and it will show you what you look like wearing a pair of SPECS. You can even see how you look wearing the 47mm version and the 52mm variant. Removable inserts cover a wide range of prescriptions for those who need glasses to see clearly.
Snap co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel explains in a sentence why he believes SPECS is an important device. "With SPECS, AI is not intelligence trapped in a chat box," Spiegel said. "It is intelligence that can see what you see, understand what you’re trying to do, and help you in the moment."
Marketing photo for SPECS. | Image by Steven Meisel
SPECS are powered by two Snapdragon processors, one for computer vision and one for running Lenses. The latter are the AR features that change your appearance or your surroundings in real time. Lenses add animations, 3D effects, and filters to your photos and videos.
Privacy is a key feature of the glasses
SPECS deliver up to 4 hours of mixed-use battery life, including audio and video playback, Lenses, Bluetooth notifications, AI, and more. The included charging case will charge the glasses up to four additional times on the go, delivering up to 20 total hours of mixed use.
Snap has made privacy a key feature of the glasses. An LED light reveals when the camera is in use, and SPECS will ask before accessing private information. On-device data processing is prioritized, and all of this leads Spiegel to say, "SPECS only work if people trust them. Privacy has to be built in from the very beginning."
Back in April, Spiegel appeared on the Founders podcast where he revealed that his tech heroes were Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Polaroid founder Edwin Land. He also discussed the SPECS AR glasses two months before they were unveiled.
Right now, the top competition for SPECS is the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses. These use a heads-up display in the right lens that overlays digital information onto your real world surroundings.
According to Spiegel, "SPECS are the most capable and most wearable AR glasses ever built."
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