I’ve spent the past few days at Snapdragon Summit where, among announcing the next-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite, I’ve had the privilege to try out a swathe of tech powered by various Qualcomm chipsets.
One of the more interesting pieces of tech I managed to go hands-on with (or should that be eyes-on?) is Snap’s new AR-enabled Spectacles. Announced in September, the latest generation of Snap’s specs offer a real glimpse into the AR-enabled future – and I wasn’t expecting to be quite as impressed as I was.
After donning the glasses and running through a quick tutorial on how to use the interface, an interface focused solely on hand-tracking with no need for controllers or touch-sensitive panels on the glasses, I was thrust into an AR-filled world.
The great thing about Snap’s AR glasses is that they run on Snap OS, an entirely new OS developed by the company that ties in closely with the Snapchat app that we’re all very familiar with.
That includes games and experiences on the app, with a Snapchat rep explaining that it’s very easy for developers to port their AR experiences from Snapchat to Snap Spectacles, with one developer reportedly doing so within just 12 hours of getting their hands on the glasses.
That immediately solves one of the biggest problems with early AR glasses; content. I’ve used other early versions of AR glasses in the past, like Oppo’s Air Glass 2, but they’ve all been pretty basic in terms of functionality. They offer basic AI, access to calendars, weather and maybe even maps, but that’s about it.
Despite the fact the Spectacles have only been around for little over a month, there are already 20+ dedicated apps and games for the AR glasses. This meant I could play games (there’s a really fun Beat Saber dupe), learn and just be creative.
Plus, unlike other early AR glasses, the Snap Spectacles actually merge the real and virtual worlds, rather than just displaying floating graphics fixed at the same point on the screen. This meant that, in one app, I could point around the room and make plants appear on any surface, be it a table, floor or even the ceiling, and those graphics would stay cemented in place as I walked around.
Snap has also been conscious about making this as sociable as possible. The transparent lenses mean you can not only still see everyone in the room, but still make eye contact when talking.
It’s a big step up from the AR you’ll get on VR headsets like the Quest 3 and arguably even the Vision Pro. This also translates to AR experiences, with multiple Spectacle users able to join the same AR environment and interact.
This meant that I could join some of my fellow tech journalists in a shared AR space, allowing us to doodle in 3D (think VR title Tilt Brush, but in the real world) and see and interact with each other’s drawings. It’s just more sociable and more natural than what I’ve experienced thus far.
Now, don’t get me wrong, Snap has a ways to go before these will become attractive to the masses. The glasses are thicker and chunkier than most of the slimline alternatives I’ve seen so far, and while the 46-degree FOV is a great improvement on early AR headsets like the Microsoft HoloLens, it needs to be more expansive.
The battery life is also incredibly short, at around 45 minutes on a full charge, though conversely, it only takes about 30 minutes to fully recharge with fast charging capabilities.
However, Snap is well aware of this, and a rep explained that there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes to shink down the tech, but as Snap is developing all the tech itself rather than using off-the-shelf components, this might take a while. That’s fine, though; great things come to those who wait.
Plus, this is very much a developer-focused headset for those keen to get into the world of AR nice and early, with the glasses only available on a $99 per month subscription right now.
Regardless, it’s clear to see the potential of Snap’s Spectacles, and if the company can actually shrink down the components, make the glasses a little more streamlined and boost that battery life, it could have a real game-changing product on its hands. And I can’t wait to see how it improves over time.
