Snap’s new augmented reality glasses are the next big thing — literally. AR glasses are very large. The social media company sees their size as a middle ground between a full-fledged AR headset and more portable smart glasses.
It’s worth noting from the outset that Spectacles 5, like their predecessors, are designed specifically for developers. Snap may open it up to consumers more broadly, but if I had to guess, I’d say this is probably closer to Spectacles 6.
I had the chance to try out my new glasses, and I can tell you two things right away.
- Augmented reality is impressive, despite the very limited field of view.
- They are as big as they look in the pictures.
Since the target audience is developers, Snap is taking a hardware-as-a-service approach to product sales, charging developers $99 per month. But before you get too excited, keep in mind that there’s a one-year commitment period, so you’ll be making less than $1,200 before tax.
Interested parties will need to apply for the devices through the Lens Studio developer program. Once approved, they will also have access to support resources from the Snap Lab team.
Despite their bulk, the new Spectacles weigh half a pound, which is significantly less than the 1.4-pound Visio Pro. During my demo, I found the AR tech to be impressive for a fully untethered headset, though the image quality and interactivity are hampered by the small viewing angle. Still, Snap says they’re nearly three times larger than the 46-degree Spectacles 4, which is a step in the right direction.
The glasses are powered by two Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, one on each arm, while Snap’s Spatial Engine does a good job of understanding where you are in space.
The social media company also launched a new operating system alongside the new devices. Built on the Android kernel, SnapOS is designed to simplify the development process for the platform.
Spectacles are launching in collaboration with some major content partners, including Lego, Niantic, and ILM Immersive. ILM Immersive will launch a “Star Wars” title for the wearable platform, while Niantic, the maker of Pokemon Go, will offer its titles Peridot and Scaniverse. The company will also launch new AI video creation tools for creators, new Google Lens-style features for its My AI chatbot, and a “lite” version of the app will be rolled out as part of a test to make it easier to use.