SPECS, Snap's First-Ever AR Glasses, Ships Out This Fall

SPECS is designed to be a pair of glasses that you can wear daily for prolonged periods of time. It’s made of a resilient and lightweight Swiss TR90 thermoplastic and comes in two sizes – 47mm and 52mm – with the smaller size weighing in at 4.6 ounces. That’s heavier than a standard pair of glasses, but impressive nonetheless considering the fact that SPECS is equipped with advanced optics and a personal wearable computer. The preorder price is set at $2,195, including a $200 refundable deposit to lock in your reservation.

SPECS is being marketed as the most advanced consumer AR glasses

Instead of an actual powered display, SPECS uses transparent waveguide technology to project UI elements onto seemingly ordinary lenses without compromising your spatial awareness. Alternatively, it can project a full-color immersive display with 51-degree field of view, equivalent to a 115-inch cinema screen placed about ten feet away. The glasses are electrochromatic, meaning they automatically tint based on lighting conditions, and they are prescription compatible.

The integrated PC is equipped with dual Snapdragon processors and runs off the proprietary Snap OS 2.0 operating system. Thanks to an array of onboard infared and RGB cameras and sensors, SPECS is able to combine computer vision, contextual awareness, and AI assistance to understand the user’s surroundings and deliver relevant information and experiences in real time. Because SPECS is developed by Snap, an established company with years of research poured into augmented reality, it can leverage the company’s existing AR ecosystem and Lens platform.

SPECS is a tetherless experience with an estimated 4-hour battery life under mixed-use operation. Don’t think that’s long enough for you? SPECS includes a charging case that can extend your total usage time to 20 hours.

Is SPECS for everyone?

No, not everyone can spend $2,100 on eyewear. But if you’re a creator looking for an innovative way to produce content, a professional seeking spatial productivity tools, a traveler looking for an alternative to traditional screen-based computing, or just someone who’s interested in AI-powered wearable technology, the practical benefits (and coolness factor) could be well worth the cost of entry.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.