Here’s What Snap’s Expensive Specs Can Actually Do
Snap's new, expensive Specs AR glasses, set to ship this fall, offer a range of features including calls, music, photos/videos, streaming, e-commerce integration, real-time language translation, and interactive sports experiences. Despite initial concerns about their size and comfort, Snap aims to make "computing more human" with these glasses.
Why it matters
This article details the capabilities of Snap's augmented reality glasses, providing insight into the company's strategy for consumer AR and its potential impact on daily activities, entertainment, and commerce.
Snap announced its latest Specs in June at the Augmented World Expo tech conference. It says it will begin shipping them to buyers sometime this fall. They are expensive and look huge and heavy to wear, uncomfortable even on Snap CEO Evan Spiegel’s ears when he wore them at the AWE reveal, something he was widely mocked for online and that left people worried about how comfortably these glasses would fit. (Spiegel later posted on X with a picture of his unburdened ear, writing, “that's just what my ear looks like.”)
Despite that, Spiegel and the company repeatedly reiterated that Snap’s goal with the glasses is to make “computing more human.”
Here are some things you can do with the Specs glasses:
Take calls via Bluetooth;
Listen to music on Spotify;
Capture photos and videos;
Stream video from services like YouTube and HBO Max (the glasses feature a display);
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