Snap AR glasses: Specs take on Meta with 2026 refresh

Snap’s AR glasses got some hate, but the new Specs look promising. Let’s see what happens.

Snap’s Spectacles AR glasses

“I worked on these for about a year at Snap, and I have a million negative things to say about the experience and the device, but I think the product speaks for itself and is obviously bad,” said Sterling Crispin, a former design engineer at Snap, about the Spectacles augmented-reality glasses. He kept the finer points to himself due to NDA rules, but tech outlets took the words and ran wild. Snap’s reputation took a hit, and the backlash might even follow the upcoming Snap AR glasses—Specs. The wearables shrink in size and feel lighter than the version Snap gave to developers last year.

Despite the rough feedback, Snap isn’t sitting still. The folks behind Snapchat aim to roll out their first pair of consumer AR glasses before Meta. If one company comes in stronger than the other, studies say early launch wins. Delaying could crush the brand with less trust. To me, Snap’s playing it cool—and that’s rare. Back in 2018, The New York Times reported only 15% of people show true humility. So in a room of 10 CEOs, you might only spot one who keeps it real. Maybe that kind of mindset will give Snap an edge.

Snap Specs design and features

Snap Specs will come in smaller and lighter than Spectacles. Just so you know, Spectacles 5 weigh 7.97 oz. The new Specs won’t need an outside battery, and the design will focus on making them comfy and easy to use. At first, the glasses will come in black, and there might be special editions later, said CEO Evan Spiegel in an interview.

The Specs include an AI assistant, let you play games with friends, and offer a “workstation” where you can browse the web and watch videos. With Spectacles, you could already use the companion app to turn your phone into a game controller with Lenses, start Spectator Mode so friends without Spectacles can join in, mirror your phone screen, and more.

I get the feeling Snap AR glasses will put more effort into comfort and usability. The company hinted in a press release that they wanted something different from smartphones. “The tiny smartphone limited our imagination. It forced us to look down at a screen, instead of up at the world,” Snap said.

Thanks to a Snap OS update, Specs will work with different AI models, including ones from OpenAI and Google, so developers can build AI-powered Lenses that respond to various inputs right away. The device will also handle features like AI text translation, currency conversion, and recipe suggestions based on what’s in your fridge. I like that Snap provides camera access with privacy in mind through their own Remote Service Gateway.

Keeping an eye on Meta and the competition

Snap has been working on smart glasses for a long time, but early versions focused more on capturing photos and videos instead of augmented reality. With Meta seeing success from its Ray-Bans glasses and planning to launch AR glasses called Artemis in 2027, Snap feels a new push to bring hardware to regular users.

People often talk about Google, Apple, and Meta racing to make AR glasses, but others are in the game, too. XREAL is developing its own pair called Project Aura. Beyond knowing it will run on Android XR, details remain scarce. At Augmented World Expo 2025, XREAL didn’t show new images or demos, but shared that Aura won’t rely on a phone for processing. Instead, it will connect to a separate puck-like device for its computing power. Past AR glasses have struggled with short battery life, limited uses, and steep prices, so I’m curious how demanding Aura will be on power.

Parting thoughts

So that’s where we’re at with Snap and the future of AR glasses. I’ve seen the ups and downs firsthand, and while the road’s bumpy, Snap’s not tapping out. They’re aiming for something that fits into people’s lives, not just another tech flex. Between the design tweaks, AI smarts, and that quiet confidence, I think Snap’s taking a smart swing.