Snap bets on augmented reality glasses for the post-smartphone era

Small social media company SNAP.N introduced Specs augmented reality glasses on Tuesday (16), in a category of devices that even Apple had difficulty turning into a success with its Vision Pro headset. The announcement was made at the Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California.

The launch comes at a critical time for Snap, whose advertising business is under pressure from larger rivals. An activist investor also demanded that the company spin off or close the cash-intensive Specs unit after an investment of more than US$3.5 billion (about R$18 million).

Growing concern about the impact of smartphones on mental health and advances in artificial intelligence have spawned a wave of products that aim to dethrone phones as the primary everyday device.

Among the most successful are Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, the most advanced model of which has only a small screen for text and navigation instructions and does not offer full augmented reality - technology that superimposes digital content on the user's view of the real world.

To outperform the competition, Snap made the Specs much lighter than the Vision Pro and more capable than Meta's glasses, developed in partnership with EssilorLuxottica (ESLX.PA) and which weigh approximately half as much as the Specs.

Initially available in black, the Specs resemble a pair of chunky retro sunglasses, with a thick frame, and do not require an external battery or accessories, such as gesture control.

Through their augmented reality lenses, they can overlay digital content onto the user's vision, projecting directions to pedestrians on the street, seeking answers with artificial intelligence while performing tasks, or allowing the user to stream content and open a virtual whiteboard.

Developers have created augmented reality experiences ranging from an immersive recreation of Apollo 11 to the PuttView golf guide, and the Specs also have other smart glasses features like video capture.

"We wanted to build an entirely new kind of computer," Snap CEO Evan Spiegel told Reuters.

He said the company has developed new technologies in virtually every component, from a custom screen and lens layer that offers a wide field of view to software optimized for low-power chips that extends battery life without increasing bulk.

The Specs offer the power of some "more expensive headsets with the usability of smart glasses at a more affordable price," Spiegel said.

The glasses are much cheaper than the Vision Pro, at US$3,499 (about R$18,000), but more expensive than the Meta's range of US$379 (about R$1,900) to US$799 (about R$4,100), which may limit consumer adoption.

"The price is still a bit above what consumers expect from augmented reality glasses," said Anshel Sag, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.

But he added that "building complete augmented reality glasses is extremely difficult and expensive, and the fact that Snap is among the first is a huge feat," noting that the Specs' operating system is "undervalued" and critical to the product.

Impact of memory chip crisis and focus on developers
Spiegel said the rise in the cost of memory chips "has had a considerable impact" and that Snap intends to offer cheaper versions in the future, although he did not disclose the amount of memory in the Specs.

Equipped with two Qualcomm processors, the Specs offer up to four hours of battery life and come with a charging case that provides four additional charges. They are expected to launch this fall in the US, UK and France, with wider availability dependent on pre-order demand.

Snap is initially focusing on developers, who are essential to creating augmented reality experiences. The company said "hundreds of thousands" already use its Lens Studio and is rolling out app creation tools through Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor, among other features.

This could prove crucial as competition intensifies.

Late last year, Google partnered with Warby Parker to launch smart glasses with artificial intelligence, while Apple is developing a model that could arrive as early as next year, according to Bloomberg News.

OpenAI, which acquired former Apple designer Jony Ive's startup, also considered the possibility of developing smart glasses, as reported by The Information.

*Published by Laura Toyama, from CNN Brasil in São Paulo.

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Source: CNN