Snap opens preorders for $2,195 consumer AR Specs
Snap says its standalone augmented reality glasses will ship this fall in the US, UK and France, with preorders requiring a refundable $200 deposit.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
Snap has begun taking preorders for Specs, its first augmented reality glasses aimed at consumers, with a price of $2,195. The launch is a key test of whether Snap can turn years of smart-glasses development into a product people will buy.
Snap says customers can reserve the glasses now at specs.com with a $200 refundable deposit. The company says shipments are expected this fall in the US, UK and France.
Snap describes Specs as a see-through wearable computer built for augmented reality. According to The Verge, the product follows Snap’s original Spectacles camera glasses from 2016 and several years of nonpublic AR Spectacles models aimed at development and testing.
The Verge reported that Snap CEO Evan Spiegel had said the company would release consumer AR glasses in 2026. The Verge also reported that Snap moved its smart-glasses work into a separate business before this launch.
Standalone hardware and prescription support
Snap says Specs operate without a tether or separate computing puck. The glasses will come in two sizes: a 47mm version weighing 132 grams and a 52mm version weighing 136 grams.
The company says the glasses use removable inserts that support a broad range of prescriptions. Snap’s images show thick frames, visible light and infrared cameras, and an LED bar at the center that lights up when the glasses are recording.
Snap says both lenses can display digital content. The company says the display system uses its own liquid-crystal-on-silicon technology, offers a 51-degree field of view and can show 16 million colors.
The lenses can also shift from clear to tinted in 10 seconds, according to Snap. That feature is meant to let the glasses work in changing lighting conditions without requiring a separate pair of sunglasses.
Processors, battery life and AR features
Snap says Specs include two Snapdragon processors, though it has not named the exact chips. The company says one processor handles computer vision while the other runs AR Lenses.
According to Snap, that setup supports hand tracking, lower-latency responses and interactions that make digital objects appear fixed in the physical world. The company is positioning the glasses around AR experiences rather than camera-only features.
Snap says the glasses can run for up to four hours on one charge, including use cases such as audio and video playback, AI assistance and Bluetooth notifications. The included charging case provides four additional charges, bringing total battery availability to 20 hours, according to the company.
The market has changed since Snap’s first Spectacles, The Verge reported, with more smart-glasses products now competing for attention. The Verge also reported that Meta released consumer AR glasses a year before Snap’s Specs.
Privacy remains part of the broader smart-glasses debate. The Verge and Wired have reported concerns about cameras, face recognition and other data issues tied to wearable devices that can record or identify people in public.
Snap’s fall launch will put Specs between simpler camera glasses and more immersive headsets. At $2,195, the product will also test how much consumers are willing to pay for standalone AR glasses from a social media company.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.