Snap's powerful Specs smart glasses make the case for AR going mainstream

Considering we didn’t have smartphones at all twenty years ago, it’s a little crazy to think about just how quickly the market established itself, zeroing in on the designs and features that shoppers most responded to. Even smartwatches have found their groove, but the same can’t quite be said yet about the latest big trend in wearables: smart glasses. As companies rush to balance consumer demands with privacy concerns, a lot are still feeling out just what kind of hardware they want to build, from basic audio glasses to full augmented reality (AR) setups. For Snap, the company’s going as big as possible for its next pair, and now it’s showing us just what we can do with its Specs AR glasses.

Snap’s no stranger to wearables, and we’re quickly coming up on the 10-year anniversary of the original Spectacles. Earlier this year, the company started teasing its most capable pair of consumer-oriented smart glasses to date, with the introduction of the $2,195 Specs. We were promised an in-depth look at what that hardware can actually do this month, and that’s just what Snap is now giving us.

What can Snap Specs do for you?

Snap already put the spotlight on Specs hardware earlier this summer, highlighting its dual-Snapdragon chipset and the liquid crystal on silicon waveguide displays it’s using to give wearers a 51-degree field of view virtual screen. Today, the company starts getting into the use cases for that hardware, detailing specific AR experiences and introducing its new Specs Intelligence AI service.

As you can see in Snap’s demo footage above, Specs look ready to hit the ground running, with an attractive, gesture-controlled AR interface that addresses most of the big use cases we think about when we’re picturing smart glasses: helping out with translations, seamlessly navigating us around town, acting as a coach, and even offering a break with some AR gaming.

In addition to the hand-based controls pictured there, you can capture moments with a literal snap of your fingers (for uploading to Snapchat, of course). And yes, for everyone concerned about privacy, Specs will light up a conspicuous LED to let people know when they’re recording. The translation support works with 60-some languages, and in addition to helping you out with phrases, it can also handle currency conversions.

Instead of carrying around a bulky laptop everywhere you go, Specs empower users to break into their workflows at a moment’s notice, supporting a virtual whiteboard for quick note-taking. And for when you’re looking to unwind you can watch the content of your choice on a floating display that can be locked in space, access tunes through Spotify, or pair up with another Specs users for multiplayer AR gaming.

Beyond just helping with directions, Specs can offer advice about locations you might want to check out, thanks to a collaboration with Tripadvisor. And before you even head out to go shopping anywhere, you can use Shopify to get an AR preview of what products will look like in your home.

Tapping into Specs Intelligence

Considering the limited input methods smart glasses offer, being able to access a voice-powered AI agent makes a whole lot of sense, and when we’re not seeing glasses connect with third-party solutions like Google Gemini, they’re implementing their own, like Vive AI on Eagle glasses. And with Specs Intelligence, that’s exactly the route Snap is headed down, too.

Like similar AI agents, Specs Intelligence taps into personal data in your apps in order to learn about your schedule and relationships, and uses that to proactively surface information to help throughout your day. Users get full control over just what info they want to share with Specs Intelligence, and the system’s designed to keep your data private from Snap, as well as not use your experiences for model training purposes.

Specs Intelligence is ready work with Specs glasses, but they’re not required, with computer and phone access also available. But for the moment, at least, that’s going to exclude PC and Android users: This is purely an iOS/Mac affair for now. If you’re interested in checking it out, you can sign up on the early access waitlist.

Getting your hands on the hardware

We already knew that these are some expensive glasses, with Snap accepting a $200 (refundable) reservation from shoppers interested in pre-ordering the $2,195 Specs. But it turns out there’s also the option to upgrade from there, and bundle the glasses with the company’s Connected Case for $2,395.

More than just a charging accessory, the Connected Case also acts as a cellular hotspot, giving the wearable a reliable data connection even when your phone’s not around. Here in the US, Snap is working with Verizon as its cellular partner. Future international deals will similarly offer service through Orange in France and EE in the UK. Existing Verizon users will be able to add the Connected Case to plans for $10 a month, or $20 if you’re not already with the carrier.

If you’re still not sure whether AR glasses like the Snap Specs are even right for you, the company understands your hesitation, and is working to give potential customers the chance to try out its hardware in person. Snap will offer a First Look experience in LA starting this October, for a special hands-on preview. Shipments of the glasses themselves are set to get started at some point this fall.