Well, well, well, look what the AR cat dragged in! After over a decade in the lab, Snap has officially unleashed its much-anticipated Specs augmented reality glasses onto the world. But before you start picturing yourself as a futuristic cyborg, cast your eyes to that price tag: a cool $2,195. Suddenly, our regular eyeglasses are looking mighty affordable, huh?
This isn't just a new gadget; it's Snap's biggest gamble on the idea that our screens are about to jump from our pockets to our faces. Sound familiar? That’s because none other than Mark Zuckerberg has been banging this drum for ages, predicting smart glasses will be the next big computing platform, just like smartphones pushed out PCs.
Price Wars: Snap vs. The Competition
Now, let's talk numbers. Snap's Specs definitely aren't playing in the budget league. For comparison, Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses will only set you back around $350. Of course, they're not quite as eye-watering as Apple's $3,500 Vision Pro headset, but they're certainly closer to Apple's lofty price point than Meta's more accessible option.
So, what do you get for nearly two grand? The usual AR suspects are on the menu: recording first-person video, browsing the web, and even playing games. But Snap's trying to sweeten the deal with a feature called "EyeConnect." Imagine this: two Specs wearers lock eyes, and bam, they can launch shared experiences. Could be a game changer for... well, eye-to-eye interactions, we guess?
The Internet Roasts Snap's Specs
However, the internet isn't exactly falling over itself with excitement. The general consensus? That price tag is a major sticking point. Ray Wong, a senior editor at Gizmodo, didn't mince words on X, tweeting, "Snap Specs for $2,195 is an instant nope for 99% people." Ouch.
Raj Nijjer, the CMO of Symmetry Software, piled on, calling the Specs "out of touch." And to really seal the deal, tech educator Riley Brown posted on X that the Specs would be "dead on arrival." It seems Snap might have a tougher climb than they anticipated.
It’s not just the price, either. These Specs are no lightweight contenders. At about 132 grams, they're almost double the weight of Meta's comparatively dainty 70-gram Ray-Bans. So, you'll be feeling that $2,195 on your face, literally.
The Big Tech AR Battle Continues
Snap’s dive into AR glasses comes at a fascinating time. Meta has already grabbed an early lead with its Ray-Ban collaboration, and even Google recently teased its own AI-powered eyewear plans. It's becoming a full-blown tech titan skirmish for our eyeballs.
The big question, though, is whether any of these tech giants can actually make AR glasses profitable. Meta’s Reality Labs, the division behind its VR and AR ventures, has burned through tens of billions since 2020, including over $17 billion in 2024 alone. That's a lot of virtual cash for what's still a niche market.
Snap isn’t exactly a stranger to financial woes either. They've been trying for years to make their AR dreams a money-making reality, all while battling a shaky advertising market, dwindling user engagement in the US, and a stock price that's still way down from its pandemic-era highs. Earlier this year, they even spun off a separate company just for Specs and, somewhat ironically, had a round of layoffs in April to "streamline operations" and "control costs." Maybe they should’ve controlled costs on the Specs' price tag, too?
If, against all odds, you’re convinced these Specs are the future and you've got a couple grand burning a hole in your pocket, preorders opened on June 16th with a $200 refundable deposit. Shipping is expected to kick off this fall in the US, UK, and France. For the rest of us, we’ll probably just stick to watching from the sidelines with our reasonably priced, non-smart glasses.
