Snap unveils ‘Specs’ smart glasses to enter the consumer AR market and compete with Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses
Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, announced it will launch its first-ever consumer smart glasses in 2026, intensifying its rivalry with Meta in the fast-growing augmented reality (AR) wearable technology market.
The lightweight AR smart glasses, officially named “Specs,” will bring Snap’s long-standing investment in AR to a broader audience. This marks a significant step for the company, which is aiming to diversify revenue beyond digital advertising amid global economic uncertainty and shifting U.S. trade policies.
“Before Snapchat had chat, we were building glasses,” said Snap CEO and co-founder Evan Spiegel during the Augmented World Expo 2025.
Snap’s AR Strategy: 11 Years and $3 Billion in the Making
Snap has reportedly spent over $3 billion across 11 years to develop its augmented reality glasses. While the company released its 5th-generation Spectacles in 2023, those were limited to developers and AR creators. The upcoming Specs consumer version represents Snap’s first mainstream entry into the consumer wearable tech space.
Features and Partnerships
The new Snap Specs will be
- Lightweight and consumer-friendly
- Integrated with Snapchat’s AR Lens Studio
- Enhanced through a partnership with Niantic Spatial, a leading AR and geospatial platform
This collaboration will upgrade the Lens Studio platform, enabling creators to design, animate, and publish AR lenses for both the Snapchat camera and the Specs smart glasses.
Competition Heating Up: Meta, Google, and More
Snap’s entry into the consumer AR market comes in response to rising demand for AI-powered smart glasses. Meta has gained traction with its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, developed in collaboration with EssilorLuxottica. These glasses feature hands-free controls and integrated AI assistants.
The growing popularity of Meta’s wearable tech has prompted other tech giants like Google to re-enter the smart glasses space, indicating a broader industry push into AR and wearable computing.
Why This Matters: A New Revenue Path for Snap
With the digital ad market facing headwinds, Snap is banking on wearable AR as a diversification strategy. The consumer launch of Specs could open up:
- New revenue streams
- Expanded creator ecosystems
- Deeper consumer engagement through immersive, real-world digital experiences
Snap Sets the Stage for an AR Wearables Showdown
Snap’s 2026 launch of Specs signals a serious commitment to augmented reality innovation and marks a turning point in its competition with Meta. As AR wearables become more mainstream, Snap aims to position itself at the forefront of consumer technology.
