Snap Specs are big, bold and far removed from everyday eyewear, behaving more like a wearable computer than a conventional pair of glasses. In a hands-on session lasting roughly an hour at Snap’s Santa Monica headquarters, the augmented reality glasses powered a virtual football game played with a real ball, guiding the wearer across a courtyard with a glowing arrow pointing towards flashing targets.
Announced in June at the Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California, the Snap Specs carry a price of around £1,720. They were widely mocked at launch for being large and expensive. Snap chief executive Evan Spiegel does not present them as all-day glasses. “I’d still think of them today as a computer, and it’s going to be more session-based,” he said. “Almost like a pair of reading glasses you put on to get something done. But I don’t think we’re far away from lighter, less expensive and far more capable versions.”
A portable mixed reality device
Where most current smart glasses offer only audio, cameras and perhaps a basic head-up 2D display, Snap Specs function more like a portable mixed reality device, comparable to a pared-down Meta Quest but with see-through lenses. They mark a further step in a line of AR headsets stretching back to Magic Leap and Microsoft HoloLens. Unlike those, Snap has fitted all the components into a single, arguably reasonably sized set of glasses, with no separate battery pack or processing puck.
Snap has also announced a charging case that doubles as a cellular hotspot, running on Verizon service in the US, intended to let the glasses work as a standalone device without a phone. It costs an extra £160 or so in a bundle with the glasses.
Fit and everyday practicality
The Snap Specs proved comfortable to wear for at least half an hour. The very thick arms rested against the temples with light pressure, and the ears bent down slightly. The frames weigh between 4.7 and 4.8 ounces (132 to 136 grams) depending on the size chosen, making them much heavier than other smart glasses, though the weight balances well at the sides of the head. They occasionally slipped down the nose.
These are clearly not normal glasses in any sense. The lenses take on a hazy look once the lens inserts are added, and the frames are large even on wider faces. Rather than everyday eyewear, the experience feels better suited to a museum, theme park, theatre or similar session-based setting.
Snap positions the glasses as a possible route to smaller devices, a toolkit for AI, and an attempt to move ahead of Apple, Google, Samsung and Meta. They remain a well-functioning prototype of an AR glasses concept that is not yet mainstream for any company. The frames are offered in more than one size.
