At a spatial AI conference in Long Beach on Tuesday, Snap finally unveiled Specs, its long-awaited consumer smart glasses. With a price tag of $2,195, they are far from affordable for most consumers.
Preorders open on June 16, 2026, with a $200 refundable deposit, and shipments are expected to begin in the fall across the US, UK, and France. While the price significantly exceeds Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses (starting as low as $350), it remains below Apple’s Vision Pro at $3,500. Nonetheless, the cost positions Specs as a premium device, out of reach for many everyday users.
A Decade in the Making
Snap has been developing Specs for over a decade. However, the last consumer-facing version of the glasses was released in 2019; subsequent iterations were limited to developers. Earlier this year, Snap spun off a new company dedicated solely to bringing the product to market.
Now, the glasses are finally here. What stands out on first impression?
Design and Performance
Visually, Specs resemble a fairly normal pair of glasses, albeit slightly bulkier and goggle-like. This extra bulk stems from a key design choice: all computing happens on the device itself, eliminating the need for a separate puck or tether, unlike some competitors.
Powered by two Snapdragon processors, Specs offer up to four hours of continuous battery life, with the included charging case extending that to 20 hours total.
Features and Functionality
What can you actually do with them? For starters, there are games, including shared multiplayer sessions between two users. Snap calls this feature “EyeConnect,” and it activates simply when two wearers make eye contact.
You can also watch videos (Snap claims a 51-degree field of view and 16 million colors), record point-of-view footage, and—at least in theory—get work done by browsing the internet, connecting to productivity apps, and checking email.
One standout feature is contextual AI: look at an object and ask about it, and the glasses can pull up information on what you’re seeing. This glimpse of an AI-assistant layer underscores a competitive battleground in the AR category.
Size and Weight
The glasses come in two sizes:
- 47mm model: weighs 132 grams (approximately 4.6 ounces)
- 52mm model: weighs 136 grams (4.7 ounces)
This makes them noticeably heavier than Meta’s Ray-Bans (first-gen Wayfarers weigh under an ounce) but far lighter than Apple’s Vision Pro (26.4 to 28.2 ounces).
Privacy Protections
On privacy, Specs follows Meta’s lead with a built-in LED light that glows while recording. Snap says users will have control over what data is stored, synced, or deleted.
First Impressions from CES 2026
When I was in Las Vegas for CES earlier this year, the Snap team let me demo an earlier version of the glasses. It was fun to play around with the apps, and I found myself impressed by the contextual AI. However, the device also had its quirks—but with the final consumer version now revealed, Snap is betting that Specs can carve out a niche in the increasingly competitive AR market.
via TechCrunch