Snapchat, long-known as a featherweight within the league of Huge Tech giants, is hoping to greatest opponents Meta, Google and Apple by releasing its new augmented actuality AI-enabled sensible glasses months, perhaps even years, earlier than the massive guys.
Talking at a convention on Tuesday, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel mentioned the corporate would launch a brand new model of its camera-equipped glasses subsequent 12 months that may incorporate an interactive, AI-enhanced digital display screen throughout the lens. The 2026 launch date could be forward of Meta, which plans to launch its AR “Orion” glasses in 2027, whereas Google has not hooked up a date to its Android XR glasses.
“The tiny smartphone restricted our creativeness,” Spiegel mentioned in his keynote on the Augmented World Expo convention in Lengthy Seashore, Calif. “It’s clear that at the moment’s units and consumer interfaces are woefully insufficient to comprehend the complete potential of AI.”
The brand new “Snapchat Specs” will probably be light-weight and AI-enhanced, Snap mentioned. They’ll permit customers to take a look at objects in the true world and leverage AI to entry info, reminiscent of translating substances on a label from overseas languages. The glasses can even permit customers to work together with the objects on the lens, Snap mentioned, citing examples like taking part in video video games with their eyeballs.
The corporate didn’t share images of the Specs frames or present info on pricing. As a part of the Specs announcement, Snapchat shared that working system partnerships with OpenAI and Google Gemini will lengthen into experiences for the glasses.
If Snap follows by way of on the promise of 2026 launch, it could be the primary Huge Tech firm to market with augmented actuality glasses for mainstream customers, claiming an early lead within the race to create the successor to the smartphone—a contest involving everybody from Meta, Google, and Apple, to ChatGPT maker OpenAI, which lately introduced a partnership with former Apple design boss Jony Ive.
A pioneer within the glasses type issue, Snap made waves with the discharge of its “Spectacles” in 2016. The funky wanting glasses have been outfitted with a digicam that allowed customers to publish images and quick video clips on to their Snapchat feed. However in recent times, Snap’s Spectacles have been eclipsed by Meta, which partnered with EssilorLuxottica to launch Ray-Ban sensible glasses. Although Meta hasn’t shared financials round its Ray-Ban glasses, EssilorLuxottica famous that the businesses have offered over 2 billion glasses since their 2023 debut. Luxottica plans to extend merchandise of the co-branded glasses to 10 million items by 2026, suggesting that the businesses are happy with the outcomes and potential of the glasses.
That mentioned, Meta’s glasses should not have AR capabilities; reasonably, the glasses have audio-based AI options in addition to photograph and video functionality. Meta has mentioned it’s going to launch its Orion AR glasses in 2027, with know-how that may permit customers to scan their Threads feeds with eye monitoring {hardware}.
Different tech giants have glasses of their sights, too. At its IO developer’s convention in Might, Google introduced that it could be part of the sensible glasses market by partnering with Warby Parker. And Apple, whose $3,500 VisionPro headset has did not catch on with customers, is reported to launch sensible glasses subsequent 12 months that mimic the present model of Meta’s Ray Bans, whereas engaged on extra superior AR glasses which can be nonetheless years away, in response to Bloomberg.
The Specs announcement follows a turbulent monetary interval for Snapchat. After years of worrisome financials, Snapchat appears to have stabilized and elevated free money stream in the latest quarter. The glasses are partially a income diversification effort as the corporate is propagated by advertisements to its social community.
Nonetheless, Snapchat didn’t share what the glasses will price customers. Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses, which should not have AR capabilities, price between $239 and $303 so it’s affordable to imagine the Specs’ costs will probably be steeper because of the {hardware} necessities.
The fashion and luxury of the glasses are additionally prone to be crucial, with customers having repeatedly demonstrated an aversion to bulky- or geeky-looking sensible glasses and headsets. With its 2026 launch date, Snap has thrust itself again into the dialog, however success will relaxation on whether or not it might produce a product customers truly need to put on.
This story was initially featured on Fortune.com
