I tested Snap Specs and now the future of smart eyewear is clear

The term "smart glasses" has different connotations, depending on a person's perspective. Some might associate it with audio-based, AI eyewear, like the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, others might consider the glasses with a heads-up display, recently made famous by the likes of Even Realities and Rokid.

But a decade or so ago, the same term might have conjured up different image – of a pair of glasses that project augmented graphics onto the real world, enhancing the surroundings with interactive experiences. Those were the smart glasses of sci-fi.

And that's where Snap comes in. After many years of development and numerous prototypes, the owner of Snapchat has finally unleashed its first AR glasses and I was one of the first journalists in the world to try them. One thing's for sure, they are no mere smart glasses.

It's not my first time with the concept. I wore a previous, development pair in early 2025, but they've come a long way since then. And the Snap Specs that were demo'ed at the company's office in Santa Monica, California are the first pair truly fit for public use.

Let's talk about that design

They are chunky and admittedly not to everyone's taste (a bit like an exaggerated pair of Guccis) but genuinely comfortable. There are two sizes – narrow at 47mm and wide at 52mm – although the maximum weight is just 136g.

That's remarkable considering everything is contained within the frame – the processing, battery, communications hardware, speakers and waveguide display technology. You don't even need to connect them to a smartphone to operate. You can – to receive calls and notifications – but it's not necessary.

It's why I can forgive a bit of chonk in the arms... all that tech has to go somewhere. And when you see what Specs are capable of, it's a necessary compromise.

The glasses are see-through (although not quite as crystal clear as a normal pair of spectacles) but can "project" full colour, high-resolution graphics within a virtual space around you, depending on the experience. They are placed onto the real world and you see them through a 51-degree window.

Sometimes this cuts off the image a little, as it's not as wide a field of view as, say, an Apple Vision Pro or Samsung Galaxy XR, but similarly you're not wearing the equivalent of a shoebox on your face. It's also dramatically improved over the development version I tested previously, so there is likely further room for improvement in future.

Life through a lens

As with Snapchat, the apps you interact with are called Lenses and they are varied.

For example, in my 30-minute demo I played dominoes with another Specs wearer, placing virtual pieces onto a real table. I also used a real keyboard to type on a heads-up version of Google Docs, started a kick-about in a Soccer Skills Lens, and watched some of The Pitt on HBO Max in the back of a car.

Occasionally I had to move my head a bit to see everything within the 51-degree window, but it was never too restrictive. Watching the video was fine as I could move the virtual screen backwards a touch using simple gesture controls to see it all within frame.

Indeed, one of the most impressive aspects of Specs is its control method and ease-of-use. You only need your hands to operate everything within the platform. A menu appears on either palm when you hold it up and you can use a finger to press the buttons that appear.

Other than that, pinches can expand, contract and select windows and functions. Different Lenses will require alternative motions, but you really only need the glasses and your own digits to get going.

The latency (and lack thereof) was excellent, while the software was largely speedy to start up and switch between. There were some loading delays, but that was understandable when you consider everything is being actioned in the glasses themselves.

Self-contained skills

Again, this cannot be stressed enough, Snap Specs are the first pair of AR glasses that I've tried that work truly autonomously. All of the computing is performed within the product itself, and while I only had 30 minutes with them, they never once ran hot and worked smoothly.

Even more impressive is that battery life is claimed to last around four hours in general use, with another four full charges available in an optional charging case (which also adds mobile data connectivity). That can be extended if you're just listening to music, say, but four hours is a feat in itself considering there's no separate battery pack.

Some might argue that glasses are designed to be worn all day – especially if matched with a prescription – and they'd be right. But that, for me, is where Snap Specs might be misunderstood.

It is my belief, based on my experience so far, that the glasses aren't really for everyday use. I don't consider them in the same vein as the Ray-Ban Metas or other smart glasses on the market today. Not at all.

These are instead a smaller, more convenient alternative to Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest and Samsung Galaxy XR. They are a mixed reality headset without the headset. And in that they represent a glimpse into the future of wearable computing.

You are likely to get them out for specific use cases, such as golf training, watching a movie on a larger screen when travelling, or accessing a virtual desktop for work. In that they show great promise – more than any other product I've seen before. You won't be wearing them when grocery shopping, but you might when you want to visualise how a new sofa will look in your home. And you won't have to slap on a heavy, cumbersome face mask to do so.

I'll have to spend more time with Snap Specs to get a real grip on how I'd use them over a longer period of time, but I can see the potential even after just 30 minutes. They feel new and fresh – carving their own niche in an emerging category. And while not perfect (and expensive, at $2,200 / £2,000) this is a bold, bright beginning for a company with a clear head start.