How much do they cost?
Snap Inc. Launches New Augmented-Reality Glasses
Snap Inc. introduced its new “Specs” augmented-reality glasses on Tuesday with a price tag of $2,195, positioning them as a potential replacement for smartphones, according to CEO Evan Spiegel.
The black thick-framed glasses were unveiled through a celebrity marketing campaign featuring model Kaia Gerber, NBA star Jimmy Butler, and rapper Jack Harlow.
Capable of running apps with about four hours of battery life, Specs will offer an overlay that seamlessly blends into the user’s daily life, as per Snap.
Spiegel proudly declared Specs as “the beginning of a new era in computing,” emphasizing that while smartphones put our lives in our pockets, Specs bring computing into the real world where life happens.
Pre-orders for Specs are now available, with shipments expected this fall to customers in the US, United Kingdom, and France. The price of $2,195 includes a $200 refundable deposit.
According to Snap, augmented reality with Specs will offer users benefits like seeing directions in real-time, measuring spaces without tools, and receiving AI assistance seamlessly while working on projects.
Despite the announcement, Snap’s shares experienced a more than 4% decline in Tuesday’s trading session, indicating potential skepticism from Wall Street.
Snap is entering a competitive market for AI wearables, with slow consumer adoption. Apple’s Vision Pro headset, priced over $3,000, has yet to create significant sales for the tech giant.
Meta, Snap’s main rival, collaborates with Ray-Ban for smart glasses but has not launched augmented-reality features. OpenAI is also developing AI-powered wearables, with the form still unknown.
While Snap’s previous smart glasses, Spectacles, did not achieve significant success, the company believes Specs, with a proprietary operating system and over 7,000 patents, offer more functionality. Specs will be available in two sizes.
Specs aim to bridge the gap between capability and wearability, providing a new category of devices that are more capable than AI glasses and more wearable than headsets, without the need for additional equipment.
The unveiling of Specs comes at a challenging time for Snap, with the stock declining over 30% this year to trade below $6 per share. In April, the company cut 1,000 jobs and closed 300 open roles as part of efforts to leverage AI tools for efficiency.
Spiegel highlighted the importance of advancements in artificial intelligence to enhance Snap’s long-term potential, enabling teams to reduce repetitive work, increase speed, and better support the community, partners, and advertisers.
