Snap Set to Release New ‘Specs’ AR Glasses for Consumers Next Year

Oh wow, so listen, Snap’s cooking up something with their Spectacles AR glasses—again! They’re talking about releasing the next gen to the public next year. Yeah, sometime in 2026, but no date set in stone yet. Anyway, you know Snap, right? The Snapchat folks. They tried this before with their Specs in 2024 but only let developers play with them at first. Then, they threw a bone to students and teachers in early 2025. Educational discounts and all that jazz. Not that I ever got one, but hey.

So about this announcement at AWE 2025, CEO Evan Spiegel—yeah, that guy—hinted that the new version would be way lighter and more capable. Somehow fitting more into less. Magic, maybe? Or tech. Whichever. But honestly, I’ve got no idea what these new ones look like. All hush-hush for now, like a mystery box waiting to pop open.

Speaking of magic, they’re boasting a library of AR Lenses, like, four million strong. Let that sink in. Addicted much? But, uh, they didn’t spill all the beans on what kind of specs (pun intended, obviously!) the new glasses will have. The older ones were packing all sorts of tech—stereo displays, fancy projectors, multiple microphones—you name it. But seriously, only 45-minute battery life? Might as well leave your charger in your pocket at all times. Anyway, who knows what the future holds? Guess we wait and see if they up their game on that front.

And—whoops, sidetracked again—Snap’s not just thinking hardware. There are whispers about updates to their Snap OS. New features are rolling in, like real-time translation and all these wild new APIs. Depth Module API for making things look super 3D? Like, please tell me how that even works. Mind = blown.

And I almost forgot! They’re talking about some location-based experiences for developers. Yup, bringing in what they call a Fleet Management app and a Guided Mode. Not totally sure what that all means, but it sounds… intense? Fun? Or confusing.

Anyway, big players like Apple, Meta, and Google are still sitting on the AR sidelines. Which means Snap could kick things off first. At least, that’s the plan. But who knows, the storytelling in tech changes like the wind. Ah well, future’s a mystery bag. Pass the popcorn.