Investing.com -- Snap announced plans to release its first consumer smart glasses next year, increasing competition with Meta (NASDAQ:META) in the wearable technology market.
The augmented reality glasses, named Specs, will feature a lightweight design, according to the company’s Tuesday announcement. Snap will partner with Niantic Spatial, an augmented reality and geospatial technology platform. This collaboration aims to enhance Lens Studio, the application creators use to design, animate and publish AR lenses.
While Snap launched its fifth-generation Spectacles in September, those devices were limited to developers only.
Snap co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel revealed at the Augmented World Expo 2025 on Tuesday that the company has invested more than $3 billion over 11 years developing its augmented reality glasses. "Before Snapchat had chat, we were building glasses," Spiegel said.
The success of Meta’s Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, developed with EssilorLuxottica, has prompted competitors to explore similar products. Meta continues to add artificial intelligence features to its glasses to attract consumers.