Snap to Release Next-Gen "Specs" AR Glasses in 2026 with AI

Prime Highlights

Snap Inc. will make its next-generation AR glasses, “Specs,” publicly available in 2026, which will be a significant foray into the consumer AR wearables market.
The Specs will have AI-driven features, reduced weight, and AR experiences driven by Snap OS.

Key Facts

Snap has spent more than $3 billion on AR work over 11 years.
The new Specs will combine with OpenAI and Google’s Gemini to provide real-time AI features.
Lens Studio improvements will enable multiplayer, place-based AR experiences through Niantic’s spatial tools.

Key Background

Snap Inc., the corporate parent of Snapchat, is set to bring its next-generation AR glasses, called “Specs,” to the masses in 2026. This represents a major upgrade from its previous version of Spectacles, which were mainly aimed at developers. The new Specs will be more slimmer, more lightweight, and more immersive, with sophisticated AI integrations and powered by Snap’s in-house Snap OS.

The firm began developing augmented reality glasses in 2016, continually enhancing functionality with each successive model. The most recent developer-only release, in 2021, brought true AR features with cameras, spatial computing, and gesture recognition but was restricted in availability because it was expensive, had a short battery life, and was bulky.

With the upcoming consumer launch, Snap is targeting broader usability. These Specs will feature integrated support from leading AI technologies including OpenAI’s models and Google’s Gemini, enabling real-time voice interaction, contextual assistance, object recognition, translation, and AR overlays. For example, users will be able to receive step-by-step cooking instructions, engage in virtual work collaboration, or translate signage and conversations on the go—directly through their glasses.

Snap OS, the Specs’ operating system, is at the heart of these features. It accommodates natural inputs such as hand gestures and voice, allowing for intuitive and hands-free experiences. Snap is also augmenting its AR creation platform, Lens Studio, to enable multiplayer and location-based AR environments in partnership with Niantic’s spatial mapping technology.

These events indicate that Snap is no longer seeing AR glasses as a novelty or technology demo, but rather a serious consumer product. Competitors are intensifying in the space of smart glasses from Apple, Meta, and Google, and Snap’s Specs want to differentiate by having a robust developer community, AI capabilities, and practical everyday use. Although pricing information has not been revealed yet, Snap has already teased that Specs will be cheaper and more accessible than more expensive rivals such as Apple Vision Pro, making AR glasses a potential mass-market product by 2026.