Snap’s Spectacles: Are AR Glasses Finally Ready for Prime Time?
2026 will be a critically important year for Snap. the company behind Snapchat is gearing up to launch a new generation of its augmented reality glasses, Spectacles. The first version, released in 2016, simply allowed users to record video. “You understood, the Meta Glasses? We made them 10 years ago,” joked Grégory Gazagne, Managing Director of Snap France, during a recent press briefing.
Gazagne believes these new Spectacles will unlock entirely new ways peopel interact with technology, much like the iPhone did. “Not only will they enhance everyday life, but they’ll offer a collaborative experiance. several people will be able to see the same thing, at the same time,” he explains. Hands-free interaction is a major benefit.Snapchat’s CEO even envisions a future where glasses replace smartphones altogether.
The Hunt for the “Killer App”
Snap isn’t the first company to try AR glasses. Google unveiled Google Glass back in 2012, promising to overlay digital facts onto the real world – displaying things like weather updates, directions, and messages.