Snap Opens Pre-Orders for $2,195 Specs AR Glasses

Snap has opened pre-orders for Specs, its standalone augmented reality glasses, at a price of $2,195. The launch, which began on September 16, caps a push of more than a decade to take the company beyond the Snapchat app and into wearable hardware. Buyers in the U.S., France and the U.K. can order through the Specs website, with shipping expected to begin in October.

AI Meets Augmented Reality

The glasses offer a 51-degree field of view for placing digital overlays over the real world, and they debut with Specs Intelligence, an AI service Snap calls anticipatory. It draws on the apps and tools users choose to connect, aiming to surface helpful information without being asked, such as points to raise before a meeting or travel plans gathered in one place. Snap is positioning the feature against Meta’s AI glasses and other rivals.

The road here has been uneven. Snap’s camera-equipped Spectacles debuted in 2016, but sales dropped sharply after the initial buzz, and the company eventually lost millions of dollars on unsold inventory. Snap has since kept refining its AR glasses while trying to control costs, and it formed a separate business for Specs in January.

Comfort, Price and Demand Questions

Doubts remain. A public preview in June raised concerns about weight and comfort, particularly after an image of CEO Evan Spiegel wearing the device circulated. The glasses reportedly weigh three times as much as regular sunglasses, and their field of view is narrower than that of smart glasses from Meta and Apple. Combined with the steep price, that leaves open whether consumer demand will match Snap’s enthusiasm.

Whether Specs prove a breakthrough or a lesson in pursuing a passion project should become clearer once the first units reach customers next month. Real-world reactions will soon replace preview-event impressions, giving Snap a true read on whether shoppers will pay this much for AR eyewear.