Key facts
- Snap Inc. has launched its new augmented reality glasses, Spectacles, priced at $2,195.
- The glasses are designed to enhance consumer AR experiences and overlay digital content onto the world.
- Preorders open June 16th with a $200 refundable deposit, and shipping begins this fall in the US, UK, and France.
- The device offers up to four hours of continuous battery life, extendable to 20 hours with a charging case.
- Snap CEO Evan Spiegel views the Specs as a new era in computing, potentially succeeding the smartphone.
- Features include recording first-person footage, web browsing, gaming, and an AI assistant for tasks like directions and object identification.
- Privacy features include a built-in light that glows when recording and user control over data storage and deletion.
Snap Inc. has unveiled its latest augmented reality glasses, Spectacles, with a price tag of $2,195, aiming to usher in a new era of computing and potentially succeed the smartphone. The glasses allow users to see digital elements overlaid onto the world and feature an AI assistant for tasks like navigation and information retrieval. Preorders open June 16th with a $200 refundable deposit, and shipping is scheduled to begin this autumn in the US, UK, and France. The device offers up to four hours of continuous battery life, extendable to 20 hours with a charging case. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel emphasized privacy, noting a built-in recording light and user control over data.
However, the high price point has drawn skepticism. Market analyst Ben Hatton noted that the technology is unlikely to become mainstream soon, given the cost and the target audience's spending capacity. He also pointed out that the four-hour battery life, while improving wearability, limits its immediate replacement potential for smartphones. Snap's previous attempts at smart glasses, launched in 2016 and updated in subsequent years, faced challenges with excess inventory and financial losses.
Snap Inc. shares fell approximately 9% following the announcement at the Augmented World Expo in California. The company is positioning the Specs as more advanced than Meta's smart glasses, which start at $224, and cheaper than Apple's Vision Pro headset at $3,499, though the latter is a mixed-reality device.