Next year, Snap will introduce its first-ever smart glasses to the general public, intensifying battle with larger rival Meta and launching a new product in the wearable technology space.
The social network business announced on Tuesday that the augmented reality smart glasses, known as Specs, will be lightweight, reports Reuters.
“We believe the time is right for a revolution in computing that naturally integrates our digital experience with the physical world. That’s why we’ve spent 11 years and more than $3 billion to invent a new type of computer for augmented reality, designed to enhance the physical world with digital experiences. We call them Specs, an ultra-powerful wearable computer integrated into a lightweight pair of glasses with see-thru lenses, and they’re coming next year,” Snap said.
Long renowned for its colorful filters and messaging app, Snapchat has been focusing more on augmented reality (AR), which allows users to superimpose digital effects on images or videos of their actual environment taken with a camera or lens.
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In an unpredictable digital ad market brought on by shifting U.S. trade policy, Snap can diversify its revenue streams and access new, profitable markets by incorporating technology into wearable items.
Only developers had access to the company's fifth generation of Spectacles spectacles, which were introduced in September.
The company has invested more than $3 billion over 11 years developing its augmented reality glasses, Snap co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel said at the Augmented World Expo 2025 on Tuesday.
"Before Snapchat had chat, we were building glasses."
In an effort to draw in more customers, Meta keeps incorporating AI capabilities into its glasses.
In order to improve Lens Studio—an application that allows developers to design, animate, and publish AR lenses for the Snapchat camera—and Specs, Snap announced a partnership with Niantic Spatial, a platform that combines augmented reality and geolocation technologies.
