Snap Inc. is attempting to get ahead of Meta by introducing AR Glasses that are for now, aimed at Developers only
Snap Inc. Chief Executive Officer Evan Spiegel unveiled a new version of the company’s Spectacles smart glasses Tuesday, revitalizing an effort to build an advanced augmented reality product that may one day replace or rival the smartphone.
The glasses, called AR Spectacles, include technology that can overlay digital images and filters onto the physical world. They could eventually provide an additional source of revenue for the messaging company, which currently depends on ads and subscriptions in the Snapchat app.
The new AR Spectacles arrive as rival Meta Platforms Inc. has found success with its own smart glasses. The Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which can record videos, play music and come with a built-in voice assistant, have been a hit with consumers, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who said the company is struggling to keep up with demand. Those glasses, which debuted in 2021, do not include AR features, but Meta is expected to announce its own AR glasses prototype, called Orion, at its annual developer conference next week.
Snap spent years developing the glasses, which are powered by a new operating system designed specifically for AR, called Snap OS. The social media platform partnered with chipmaker Qualcomm Inc. and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI to provide some of the underlying tech.
Even for developers, the cost of the subscription still clocks in at nearly $1,200, which seems like a lot for a pair of glasses they won’t actually own (and can’t keep when they cancel the subscription). Even if a consumer wanted a pair, there’s no way at the moment to buy the glasses outright and they’re priced significantly higher than other smart glasses on the market. (Meta’s glasses cost $300.) In order to use them, developers will have to apply through Snap’s Lens Studio, the company’s platform for making digital image filters. Bloomberg. You could also see Snap's press release here.
Of course, new devices usually come half-baked and this is no different. The British news site "The Times," has posted a video review that picks at the device's current drawbacks: Price, heaviness, terrible battery life – and more.