(Photo by JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Image)
Will augmented reality glasses ever catch on? The developer of Snapchat is ready to try.
On Tuesday, Snap announced it will launch "lightweight" and "immersive" AR glasses next year.
The existing model, the Spectacles 24', has been available to software developers since October. But the company is now gearing up to take it mainstream with an even more portable commercial product called the Specs.
(Credit: Snap)“We believe the time is right for a revolution in computing that naturally integrates our digital experiences with the physical world, and we can’t wait to publicly launch our new Specs next year,” Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said in the announcement.
The company hasn’t disclosed specs for the Specs or its price. But Snap says the glasses will feature an “ultra-powerful wearable computer," built with “see-through Lenses” that can overlay virtual objects on the user’s real-world sights.
“Snap’s all-new Specs are uniquely positioned to understand the world through advanced machine learning, bring AI assistance into three-dimensional space, enable shared games and experiences with friends, and provide a flexible and powerful workstation for browsing, streaming, and more,” the company adds.
A number of tech companies are experimenting with AR glasses at the moment. Some are predicting they could become the next major computing platform, joining the smartphone and the PC. Short battery life, limited use cases, and high prices have hampered these devices before, but Snap seems to be confident it can pull off a viable AR glasses product by harnessing the latest components and generative AI to offer hands-free computing.
In addition, the company noted: "People use AR Lenses in the Snapchat camera 8 billion times per day, and over 400,000 developers have built more than 4 million Lenses with Snap’s world-leading AR tools."