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Snap Launches Specs AI Tool for AR Glasses
Confirmed
In Short: Snap has officially launched Specs, its new augmented reality glasses, and Specs Intelligence, an AI assistant designed to help manage daily tasks.
Snap has officially launched Specs, its new augmented reality glasses, and Specs Intelligence, an AI assistant designed to help manage daily tasks. According to reports, Specs Intelligence can connect to various apps and tools to assist with work tasks and travel information.
Specs Intelligence, a new AI assistant, is part of Snap's Specs, the company's first consumer pair of augmented reality glasses. The glasses are priced at $2,195 and are available for iOS in a preview, with a waitlist for the full early-access experience on Mac.
Snap's Specs Intelligence is an 'anticipatory AI service' that helps users manage their tasks and progress toward longer-term goals. It can connect to apps like Gmail and Slack, similar to other AI assistants like Meta's Muse and Gemini's Spark. Snap is pitching Specs Intelligence as a tool that can help users stay organized and productive.
Snap's Specs glasses are designed to be used for various purposes, including finding parts on products or checking backstock. Unlike other camera-equipped smart glasses, Snap's Specs do not use facial recognition to identify people. The company is keen to separate its glasses from the ongoing criticism surrounding camera-equipped smart glasses like the Ray-Ban Meta glasses.
Snap has also announced a charging case that doubles as a cellular hotspot with Verizon service in the US, priced at an extra $200 in a bundle with the glasses. The glasses are more like a portable mixed reality device, something like a very pared-down Meta Quest but with see-through lenses. Tech enthusiasts are curious about whether Specs will be a business tool or a theme park for the face.
What's confirmed
- Snap has officially launched Specs, its new augmented reality glasses, and Specs Intelligence, an AI assistant designed to help manage daily tasks. According to reports, Specs Intelligence can connect to various apps and tools to assist with work tasks and travel information.
- Specs Intelligence, a new AI assistant, is part of Snap's Specs, the company's first consumer pair of augmented reality glasses. The glasses are priced at $2,195 and are available for iOS in a preview, with a waitlist for the full early-access experience on Mac.
- Snap's Specs Intelligence is an 'anticipatory AI service' that helps users manage their tasks and progress toward longer-term goals. It can connect to apps like Gmail and Slack, similar to other AI assistants like Meta's Muse and Gemini's Spark. Snap is pitching Specs Intelligence as a tool that can help users stay organized and productive.
- Snap's Specs glasses are designed to be used for various purposes, including finding parts on products or checking backstock. Unlike other camera-equipped smart glasses, Snap's Specs do not use facial recognition to identify people. The company is keen to separate its glasses from the ongoing criticism surrounding camera-equipped smart glasses like the Ray-Ban Meta glasses.
- Snap has also announced a charging case that doubles as a cellular hotspot with Verizon service in the US, priced at an extra $200 in a bundle with the glasses. The glasses are more like a portable mixed reality device, something like a very pared-down Meta Quest but with see-through lenses. Tech enthusiasts are curious about whether Specs will be a business tool or a theme park for the face.
What's still developing
- Snap officially launched its new Specs, lifting the curtain on a surprisingly robust feature set and a high-profile lineup of launch partners.
- Standalone processing, 51-degree FOV, and "anticipatory" AI put Snap years ahead of the competition.
- But at $2,195, Snap faces monumental hurdles before its bleeding-edge tech can win over everyday buyers.
- They could also be used to find parts on a product or check backstock for an item. (Google similarly had an enterprise version of its Google Glass project but shut it down in 2023.) Snap seems keen to separate its glasses from the ongoing criticism surrounding camera-equipped smart glasses like the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which have been called “pervert glasses.” (Ironic, considering Snap popularized the category with its original Spectacles, designed to record hands-free video for Snapchat Stories.) An LED indicator lights up when the cameras are actively capturing video or taking a photo.
- I tried Snap’s developer Spectacles a bunch of times in the past, which showed a whole augmented reality OS that works with hand tracking and launches “Lens” apps, some 2D, some full 3D, that can map into the real world.
- Out in a courtyard at Snap’s Santa Monica, California, headquarters, I’m kicking a soccer ball around.
- It’s another evolution of AR headsets going all the way back to Magic Leap and Microsoft HoloLens, but unlike those, Snap’s got all the pieces to fit into one arguably reasonably sized set of glasses.
- A way for Snap to try to get ahead of Apple, Google, Samsung and Meta while it can?