Snap Inc. Debuts SPECS Augmented Reality Glasses to Make Computing More Human

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Key Terms

augmented reality technical

Augmented reality is technology that layers computer-generated images, information or sounds onto your view of the real world through devices like phones, tablets or smart glasses — like seeing navigation arrows or product labels projected onto what you’re looking at. It matters to investors because it creates new ways to sell hardware, software, services and ads, can change customer engagement and recurring revenue models, and carries adoption and privacy risks that affect company value.

liquid crystal on silicon display technical

A liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display is a type of high-resolution microdisplay that uses a silicon chip covered with tiny liquid crystal 'shutters' reflected off a mirror to form images; think of millions of microscopic window blinds opening and closing on a mirror to make a picture. Investors care because LCOS affects product image quality, size, power use, manufacturing cost and supply chain risk—factors that influence a maker’s competitiveness, margins and market adoption in devices like projectors, AR/VR headsets and automotive displays.

spatial computing technical

Spatial computing is the set of technologies that lets computers understand, map and interact with the physical world so digital content can be placed and controlled in real space—think of it as a layer of digital information that sits on top of your surroundings like a smart map you can touch and walk through. Investors care because it creates new products, services and sales channels across hardware, software and services, and can transform how people work, shop and consume media, opening potential for sustained revenue growth.

waveguide technical

A waveguide is a physical channel—like a hollow tube or a thin strip of material—that directs electromagnetic energy such as microwaves, radio waves or light from one point to another with minimal loss. For investors, waveguides matter because their design and quality directly affect the speed, efficiency, size and cost of products in telecom, radar, sensors and medical imaging; improvements can make devices faster, smaller or cheaper, boosting a supplier’s competitiveness.

computer vision technical

Computer vision is technology that gives machines the ability to 'see' and make sense of images or video, turning pixels into usable information like object counts, measurements, or activity patterns. For investors, it matters because it enables automation, cost reduction and new product features across industries—from quality checks on factory lines to retail analytics—so companies that adopt effective computer vision can boost efficiency, reduce labor needs and create competitive advantages.

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06/16/2026 - 01:00 PM

SPECS bring AI assistance, work tools, entertainment, and shared experiences into the world around you, so people can create, connect, learn, and get things done in the moment.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP) today unveiled SPECS, a wearable computer built into see-through augmented reality glasses. SPECS are available for pre-order today at SPECS.COM for $2,195 with a $200 refundable deposit, and are expected to ship this fall in the United States, United Kingdom, and France.

Kaia Gerber for SPECS, by Steven Meisel

“SPECS are the beginning of a new era in computing,” said Evan Spiegel, co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc. “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.”

For more than a decade, Snap has invested across the full augmented reality stack including developer tools, a proprietary operating system, displays, optics, and computer vision, filing more than 7,000 patents to create technology that makes computing more human. With SPECS, that long-term vision moves from phones to glasses.

“The smartphone put our lives in our pockets,” Spiegel said. “SPECS put computing into the world, where life actually happens.”

Today’s devices force a tradeoff between capability and wearability. AI glasses are wearable, but limited in what they can do. Headsets are powerful, but can be uncomfortable to wear and shut people out of the world. SPECS represent a new category: more capable than AI glasses, more wearable than headsets, and fully standalone, with no puck or tether.

SPECS are built to be wearable for everyday life and capable of rich spatial computing. Crafted from high-performance Swiss TR90 polymer, SPECS are available in two sizes, with the 47 mm model weighing just 132 grams and the 52 mm model weighing 136 grams. Removable inserts support a wide range of prescriptions.

The glasses feature Snap’s proprietary liquid crystal on silicon display, with a 51-degree field of view and 16 million colors for sharper contrast and richer, smoother visuals. 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.

Snap redesigned the waveguide to deliver a clearer, more seamless view of the world with minimal distortion. Our new waveguide uses billions of invisibly small nanostructures, so small that more than 10,000 can fit on the tip of a single hair. Electrochromic lenses, inspired by the same advanced technology found in Boeing 787 Dreamliner windows, shift from clear to tinted in 10 seconds.

“SPECS are not designed to replace the world,” Spiegel said. “They’re designed to bring computing into it.”

Powered by two Snapdragon processors, one for computer vision and one dedicated to running Lenses, SPECS enable high-speed hand tracking, lower latency, and more natural interactions. Verified by advanced robotic measurement systems, SPECS deliver 7-millisecond motion-to-photon latency, helping digital content feel anchored in the real world.

SPECS make augmented reality useful every day by bringing real-world tools, a large private display, and shared immersive experiences into the world around you. Directions, spatial measurements, and contextual AI assistance appear exactly when people need them. A large, private display makes it possible to stream content, cast a screen, open a whiteboard, or turn almost any place into a workspace. And hundreds of developer-built Lenses unlock shared experiences that screens cannot, from reading the green, to overlaying interactive lessons onto your drum set with Drum Kit, to education tools like Vector Fields that make invisible forces visible.

SPECS offer up to 4 hours of mixed-use battery life, including audio and video playback, Lenses, AI assistance, Bluetooth notifications, and more. The included charging case provides four additional charges on the go, delivering up to 20 total hours of mixed use.

“SPECS are the most capable and most wearable AR glasses ever built,” Spiegel said.

Snap also announced new tools for the SPECS developer ecosystem. Over the past year and a half, Snap has shipped 10 Snap OS updates with more than 40 new features and APIs, and developers have already published hundreds of Lenses for SPECS.

The company introduced agentic development for building SPECS Lenses in Lens Studio, designed to help developers explore ideas, prototype, test, debug, optimize, publish, and improve Lenses after launch. The developer preview is rolling out in Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor. Snap also announced the SPECS Spatial Benchmark to evaluate how AI models perform across real-world spatial tasks, the Migration Agent to help teams port existing projects to SPECS, and the Native Development Kit, enabling developers to bring their own code and libraries into Lens Studio.

“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.”

As SPECS bring computing into a more personal form factor, Snap emphasized its privacy-first approach. SPECS ask clearly before accessing sensitive information, include an LED light that glows when recording, prioritize on-device data processing, and give people control over what gets stored, synced, shared, or deleted.

“SPECS only work if people trust them,” Spiegel said. “Privacy has to be built in from the very beginning.”

Snap also unveiled a global SPECS campaign shot by legendary photographer Steven Meisel and featuring a group of creative visionaries, including Jimmy Butler, Imogen Heap, Hoyeon, Jack Harlow, and Kaia Gerber. Each Visionary has been working with Snap to imagine new SPECS experiences that will debut this fall.

“Together, we will create something truly special,” Spiegel said. “A future where computing empowers us, brings us closer together, and reconnects us with the world around us.”

About Snap Inc.

Snap Inc. is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Snap contributes to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together.

The Company operates Snapchat, a visual messaging app that enhances your relationships with friends, family, and the world, and Specs Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary dedicated to making computing more human, in addition to Bitmoji, Saturn, and other digital services.

For more information, visit snap.com.