Snap launches smart glasses for over two thousand dollars
Snap Inc. launches its new smart glasses "Specs" starting at $2,195, as a standalone augmented reality computer that works without a phone. The glasses rely on Snapdragon processors, transparent display technology, and hand tracking and voice commands. However, tests showed challenges in tracking accuracy and visibility under sunlight.
Snap Inc. launches its new smart glasses "Specs" starting at $2,195, aiming to transform smart glasses from mere cameras into a standalone wearable computing platform. Snap unveiled the glasses in June, after over a decade of investment in augmented reality technologies. Specs operates as a standalone computer built into the glasses frame, displaying digital elements over the real world and interacting via voice and hand gestures, without needing a phone or external processing unit. The glasses include two Snapdragon processors, one for computer vision and the other for running AR applications, with transparent waveguide display technology, a 51-degree field of view, and the ability to display 16 million colors. Latency is 7 milliseconds. The glasses allow browsing the internet, streaming a computer screen, creating a virtual workspace, and applications for navigation, translation, education, fitness, and gaming. They rely on hand tracking and voice commands. However, a test by The Verge indicated that gesture tracking was not always accurate, visibility becomes more difficult under sunlight, and some virtual elements may exit the field of view when moving the head. Snap places AI at the core of the experience through "Specs Intelligence" and partnerships with Nvidia, Amazon, and Salesforce, targeting industrial, retail, and field service sectors.