Summary

Snap has announced SPECS, augmented-reality glasses with computing hardware built into the frames, an AI service spanning iPhone, Mac and the glasses, and experiences for translation, navigation, entertainment and work. Pre-orders in the United States, United Kingdom and France are expected to ship later this fall.

Snap has announced SPECS, a pair of augmented-reality glasses designed to function as a computer through see-through lenses, hand and voice controls, and computing hardware built directly into the frames. The company is taking pre-orders at $2,195 with a $200 refundable deposit, with shipping expected later this fall in the United States, United Kingdom and France.

The announcement on September 16, 2026 also introduces SPECS Intelligence, an AI service that Snap says will work across iPhone, Mac and SPECS glasses. An in-person demonstration space, called SPECS First Look, is scheduled to open at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles on October 1.

Contents

A computer built into the glasses

SPECS use see-through lenses to place digital information and graphics in the wearer’s surroundings. Snap describes the glasses as a new kind of computer rather than as a display accessory, with the interaction model based on seeing the world, deciding what to do and acting through natural hand and voice input.

The company says the computing hardware is integrated into the glasses without a separate puck or tether. That design is intended to make the physical environment the setting for applications such as directions, training exercises, shared games and virtual workspaces.

Augmented reality, or AR, overlays digital content on a view of the physical world. In SPECS, Snap says those overlays can include guidance arrows, captions, virtual objects and large virtual screens. The announcement does not provide a full hardware specification sheet for the glasses.

AI and augmented-reality experiences

SPECS Intelligence is designed to build an understanding of a user’s goals, priorities, relationships and routines from apps and tools the user chooses to connect. Rather than waiting for a typed or spoken prompt, Snap says the service is intended to surface information and actions when they may be useful. On the glasses, that personal context can be presented in the wearer’s field of view.

Starting in the United States, people aged 18 and above can download the SPECS app for iOS and try the SPECS Intelligence preview. Access to the fuller Mac experience is invitation-only through a waitlist.

The glasses will support several context-driven AR features. Translation can display captions when another person speaks, with support for 60 languages. Navigation can place directions over the surrounding view and provide optional voice guidance. A Shopify Catalog-powered shopping experience can show products as 3D objects at full scale in a room before purchase.

Snap is also highlighting training and educational uses. Basketball experiences being developed with the NBA and WNBA will provide visual drills and progress cues using a real ball and hoop. Other announced experiences include soccer and golf training, an Apollo 11 educational Lens, and Starmap, which overlays constellations on the night sky. Snap says a golf Lens developed with guidance from PGA Professionals can analyse movement and provide advice on swing mechanics or putting.

Communication, entertainment and work

SPECS can connect to a phone over Bluetooth for calls, notifications and music. Snapchat has been redesigned for the glasses, including finger-snapping to capture a Snap and hands-free video calls. Connected Lenses are intended to let people share digital experiences in the same physical space, with examples including dominoes, chess and table tennis.

For media, the SPECS browser supports services including YouTube and HBO Max. Snap describes the virtual display as equivalent to a 115-inch cinema screen viewed from about 10 feet away. Travel Mode is designed to keep the display stable while the wearer is on a moving train or flight. Spotify integration can recommend music or podcasts based on a spoken request or an image.

The glasses can also connect wirelessly to a computer and expand a workstation beyond a conventional desktop. A Whiteboard experience is designed for brainstorming, workflow organisation and diagrams, while Bluetooth keyboard support allows document editing. Snap says enterprise partnerships with Salesforce, Amazon Web Services, NVIDIA, Trifork and Hololight are intended to support hands-free work in places such as store floors, factories and field environments.

Privacy, charging and availability

Snap says SPECS do not use facial recognition to identify people and do not continuously record or save audio, video or photos. When the wearer takes a photo or records audio or video, an external LED in the centre of the frames lights or flashes to indicate recording. Users choose which information and services the glasses can access, and Lenses request permission before accessing sensitive information.

For SPECS Intelligence, Snap says connected account content is not used to train or fine-tune its AI models or to serve personalised advertisements. The company describes a combination of on-device processing and secure cloud infrastructure, with security protections applied where data is processed.

A separate SPECS Charging Case with Cellular provides four additional charges and cellular connectivity through participating carriers. In the United States, the SPECS Connected Case bundle will cost $2,395. Verizon will offer financing, including a 36-month payment plan, while connected wearable data plans start at $10 per month for Verizon customers and $20 per month for non-Verizon customers. Snap says pricing for plans through Orange in France and EE in the United Kingdom will be announced later.

The initial pre-order price for SPECS is $2,195, backed by a $200 refundable deposit. The company expects shipping to begin later this fall in the United States, United Kingdom and France, while several announced experiences are scheduled for later releases, including ALO Wellness Club next year.

Sources