Snap spins out AR glasses business into Specs Inc. to challenge Meta's smart glasses dominance

Snap is Spinning Out Its Specs AR Glasses Business

The subsidiary, Specs Inc., will keep focusing on products that build on the company's Spectacles, which create mixed-reality experiences for wearers. Snap, the company behind Snapchat, is launching Specs Inc. later this year, spinning out its smart glasses business into its own subsidiary. As competition heats up in the space with Meta continuing to introduce new versions of its AI glasses and (if rumors are true) Apple developing glasses that use AI and augmented reality, Specs will have a big head start. Snap first rolled out its first Spectacles glasses in 2016. Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source. In its announcement, Snap said that Specs products "have see-through lenses that add digital objects to the world in three dimensions, enabling natural controls with your hands and voice." The company has differentiated these types of glasses from VR headsets that close people off from the world around them, not unlike Apple's approach with its Vision Pro headsets, which sit at the premium end of the space, and which have not sold well. While early Spectacles products focused on recording video and posting it to Snapchat, Snap says that Specs are focused on keeping people in the moment as a tool for social interactions and business. "Specs feature a first-of-its-kind Intelligence System that uses its understanding of you and your world to help get things done on your behalf while protecting and respecting your privacy," the company said. "We're building a computer that we hope you'll use less, because it does more for you." Right now, Spectacles are available not as a product you buy, but as a $99-a-month subscription service aimed at developers and creators, not general audiences. The company's website for Spectacles is focused on getting developers to create for the platform. "Given how hot this area is right now, it's a smart move, and I'm certainly looking forward to seeing what the commercial product will look like later in the year," said Ben Wood, chief analyst and CMO of CCS Insight, said in a LinkedIn post about the announcement. Wood went on to say that Spectacles won't be alone this year in pushing out smart glasses. "I suspect we are going to see quite a few products emerging in this segment in 2026," he said.

Snap seeks investments as new smart glasses unit takes on Meta

Jan 28 (Reuters) - Snap (SNAP.N), opens new tab will create an independent subsidiary for its augmented reality smart glasses, as it looks to attract external investment and challenge bigger rival Meta in the fast-growing wearables market. The launch of the Specs unit, announced on Wednesday, comes as the success of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses positions eyewear as an early frontrunner in the race for gadgets powered by artificial intelligence. But wearables is a costly bet, requiring massive capital injection for hardware, software and research and design capabilities, where even slight supply chain disruptions can impact production goals. Earlier this month, a supply squeeze forced Meta (META.O), opens new tab to pause the international expansion of its Ray-Ban Display glasses and focus on fulfilling U.S. orders. While Meta develops its smart glasses with EssilorLuxottica's (ESLX.PA), opens new tab Ray-Ban, Big Tech rival Google has partnered with Warby Parker (WRBY.N), opens new tab. Known for its Snapchat messaging app and animated filters, Snap has been doubling down on AR, which can overlay digital effects onto photos, videos and users' views of their surroundings in real-time. Specs smart glasses will feature an "intelligence system" to anticipate user needs and assist them with tasks. The company said the new unit would open its door to minority investment and is actively recruiting for nearly 100 global positions as it moves closer to the product's launch. Snap has invested more than $3 billion over 11 years to develop its AR glasses, co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel said at the Augmented World Expo last year. "Success will depend less on breakthrough hardware innovation, but more on ecosystem integration and software value," said Francisco Jeronimo, VP of devices research at market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC). Last year, Meta dominated the smartglasses market with a 70% unit market share, followed by Xiaomi Corp (1810.HK), opens new tab at 8.5% and Huawei Technologies with 2.7%, according to IDC. Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Ananda Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Smartglasses pioneer Snapchat is going all-out to take on the Ray-Ban Meta

Social network Snapchat could be seen as one of the pioneers of modern, consumer-friendly smartglasses. However, despite its successful early start, it has lost out to brands like Meta and upstarts like Halliday and Mentra, with its own models fading into the background. That's set to change, as Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. has established a subsidiary called Specs Inc., and the order of the day is a new pair of smartglasses to take on the might of Meta. What is Specs Inc.? At the moment, the announcement centers around what Specs Inc. hopes to bring out later this year, although exact details about the product are still clouded in mystery. In the press release, it's claimed the company has been working on a "new type of eyewear called Specs," for a decade, and that developers are also building apps and experiences for them. According to it, Specs will: Integrate your digital experience with the real world. Instead of staring at an opaque screen that separates you from your surroundings, Specs smartglasses have see-through lenses that add digital objects to the world in three dimensions, enabling natural controls with your hands and voice. AI, of course Where would Specs be without some AI? With crushing inevitability, Specs Inc. says its smartglasses will arrive with a first-of-its-kind intelligence system, which will understand you, help get things done, and be mindful of your privacy. More interestingly, Snapchat envisions future Specs smartglasses as a wearable replacement for real-world productivity tools like instruction manuals and whiteboards, all with a built-in ability to help share this content with friends. The first pair of Specs smartglasses are expected to arrive in 2026, but there's no exact date yet. Specs Inc. is still in the hiring phase, and in the process of building the brand. Established player Snapchat launched a pair of smartglasses long before the Ray-Ban Meta's arrival. The original Snapchat Spectacles came out in 2016 and had a camera in the arm, which shot video in short clips with a circular frame ready to be uploaded to the Snapchat social network. Subscribe to the newsletter for smartglasses insight Get deeper context by subscribing to our newsletter: focused coverage and analysis of smartglasses, AR wearables, and the companies shaping them. Subscribe for expert takes, product context, and thoughtful perspectives that clarify what these devices mean. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Spectacles were sold through special vending machines at first, adding to the viral nature of the product. Snapchat has continued to release different versions of Spectacles, right up until a developer-focused fifth-generation pair at the beginning of 2025. Smartglasses have been tipped to become a breakout product in 2026, and multiple manufacturers including Samsung and Google are expected to launch pairs this year. Snap Inc. has considerable background and experience in the space, and will be one to watch.

Snap seeks investments as new smart glasses unit takes on Meta

Snap is launching a new unit for its augmented reality smart glasses. This move aims to attract outside investment and challenge rival Meta. The company has invested heavily in AR technology. The new smart glasses will feature an intelligence system. Snap is actively hiring for this new venture. This positions Snap for future growth in the wearables market. Snap will create an independent subsidiary for its augmented reality smart glasses, as it looks to attract external investment and challenge ⁠bigger rival Meta in the fast-growing wearables market. The launch of the Specs unit, announced on Wednesday, comes as the success of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses positions eyewear as an early frontrunner in the race for gadgets powered by artificial intelligence. But wearables is a costly bet, requiring massive capital injection for hardware, software and research and design capabilities, where even slight supply chain disruptions can impact production goals. Earlier this month, a supply squeeze forced Meta to pause the international expansion of its Ray-Ban Display glasses and focus on fulfilling U.S. orders. While Meta develops its smart glasses with EssilorLuxottica's Ray-Ban, Big Tech rival Google has partnered with Warby Parker. Known for its Snapchat messaging app and animated filters, Snap has been doubling down on AR, which can overlay digital effects onto photos, videos and users' views of their surroundings in real-time. Specs smart glasses will feature an "intelligence system" to anticipate user needs and assist them with tasks. The company said the new unit would open its door to minority investment and is actively recruiting for nearly 100 global positions as it moves closer to the product's launch. Snap has invested more than $3 billion over 11 years to develop ⁠its AR glasses, co-founder and ⁠CEO Evan Spiegel said at the Augmented World Expo last year. "Success will depend less on breakthrough hardware innovation, but more on ecosystem integration and software value," said Francisco Jeronimo, VP of devices research at market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC). Last year, Meta dominated the smartglasses market with a 70% unit market share, followed by Xiaomi Corp at 8.5% and Huawei Technologies with 2.7%, according to IDC.

Snapchat's Upcoming Augmented Reality Glasses Will Launch Under a New Brand Called Specs

The Specs glasses will be cheaper than the Vision Pro, however, no release date has been confirmed yet. Snap Inc, the company behind the popular social media app Snapchat, just announced its new subsidiary called Specs. This will be a separate brand for its upcoming augmented reality smartglasses. Specs is scheduled to launch sometime later this year, but no release date has been confirmed yet. Snapchat shared a blog post, where it discussed, "Establishing Specs Inc. as a wholly-owned subsidiary provides greater operational focus and alignment, enables new partnerships and capital flexibility including the potential for minority investment, allows us to grow a distinct brand, and supports clearer valuation of the business as we work towards the public launch of Specs later this year". Snapchat Specs will offer an Augmented Reality experience As the statement mentions, the new subsidiary will help lure more investments to the project as it is nearing launch. Specs will offer an AR experience, showing digital overlays and menus on top of your physical surroundings. It's similar to the Apple Vision Pro; however, the Snapchat Specs won't cost as much as the $3499 headset. According to Snap, its upcoming Specs will bring a "new computing paradigm", not seen since the first Macintosh. The post further elaborates, "Specs are launching at an important time, as artificial intelligence transforms the way that we use our computers. Instead of an operating system that expects us to do all the work, Specs feature a first-of-its-kind Intelligence System that uses its understanding of you and your world to help get things done on your behalf while protecting and respecting your privacy". Snap has yet to confirm a release date for the Specs. But it will be interesting to see how they manage to fit an AR experience in a pair of glasses. What do you think about this story? Let us know in the comments down below.

Snap doubles down on smart glasses with new independent unit

Jan 28 (Reuters) - Snap will create an independent subsidiary for its augmented reality smart glasses, as it looks to attract external investment and challenge bigger rival Meta in the fast-growing wearables market. The launch of the Specs unit, announced on Wednesday, comes as the success of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses positions eyewear as an early frontrunner in the race for gadgets powered by artificial intelligence. But wearables is a costly bet, requiring massive capital injection for hardware, software and research and design capabilities, where even slight supply chain disruptions can impact production goals. Earlier this month, a supply squeeze forced Meta to pause the international expansion of its Ray-Ban Display glasses and focus on fulfilling U.S. orders. While Meta develops its smart glasses with EssilorLuxottica's Ray-Ban, Big Tech rival Google has partnered with Warby Parker. Known for its Snapchat messaging app and animated filters, Snap has been doubling down on AR, which can overlay digital effects onto photos, videos and users' views of their surroundings in real-time. Specs smart glasses will feature an "intelligence system" to anticipate user needs and assist them with tasks. Snap's shares were up more than 2%. The company said the new unit would open its door to minority investment and is actively recruiting for nearly 100 global positions as it moves closer to the product's launch. Snap has invested more than $3 billion over 11 years to develop its AR glasses, co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel said at the Augmented World Expo last year. "Success will depend less on breakthrough hardware innovation, but more on ecosystem integration and software value," said Francisco Jeronimo, VP of devices research at market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC). Last year, Meta dominated the smartglasses market with a 70% unit market share, followed by Xiaomi Corp at 8.5% and Huawei Technologies with 2.7%, according to IDC. (Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Ananda)