Here's What Snap's Expensive Smart Glasses Can Actually Do

Snap, the company that makes Snapchat, has revealed what its brand-new smart glasses can do. The glasses, called Specs, cost $2,195 and use augmented reality, which means they can add digital images on top of the real world you see. At a launch event in Los Angeles, Snap showed off features ranging from translating languages to helping you practice basketball. The company also announced a new AI service that learns about your daily life to help you plan things.

Snap first showed the Specs to the public in June at a technology conference, and the company plans to start shipping them this fall. When CEO Evan Spiegel wore them at the reveal, many people joked online that the glasses looked too big and heavy to be comfortable. Spiegel responded by posting a photo on X, writing, 'that's just what my ear looks like.' Despite the jokes, Snap says its goal is to make technology feel more natural for people.

The glasses can do many things. You can take phone calls, listen to music on Spotify, and take photos and videos. The glasses have a built-in screen, so you can watch videos from YouTube or HBO Max, and you can even shop by seeing 3D models of products floating in your room before you buy them.

One standout feature is real-time language translation. The glasses can listen to someone speaking a foreign language and translate what they say through the speakers and as text on the display. Snap has a deal with Tripadvisor so you can translate reviews and local phrases while traveling. The company does warn that translation tools are not always perfectly accurate.

Sports fans have things to look forward to, too. Snap is working with the NBA and WNBA to create a basketball experience where the glasses show you tips and guides right on top of a real hoop. Similar features are planned for soccer and golf. For Harry Potter fans, a deal with HBO Max lets you make a virtual Hogwarts acceptance letter appear right in your room.

If a friend also has Specs, the two of you can play digital games together — like chess, ping pong, or dominoes — without a board or pieces. While reading a real printed book, the glasses let you highlight and save your favorite passages. You can also use them to meditate or take on the role of a digital DJ.

Snap is also marketing the glasses to businesses. It has deals with Salesforce, Amazon, and Nvidia to help workers see important data or locate parts on a product without looking away from their work. Google once made a similar workplace product called Google Glass, but it was shut down in 2023.

Privacy is a serious concern with glasses that have cameras built in. Snap says the Specs light up an LED when the cameras are on, so people nearby can tell they are being recorded. The company also says the glasses do not use facial recognition to identify people. Earlier this year, a report found that Meta had been testing facial recognition on its own smart glasses, but the company removed the feature after news got out.

Snap's new AI service, called Specs Intelligence, is available today on iPhone, Mac, and the Specs glasses. Snap calls it an 'anticipatory AI,' meaning it studies your habits to predict what you might need help with next. It can help you book a trip, find a hotel, or answer questions based on your schedule and goals. It connects to your apps to build a detailed picture of your life, which means it collects a lot of personal data.

Starting October 1, people in Los Angeles can visit the Westfield Century City mall to try the Specs before buying them. But big questions still remain about whether these glasses are worth the high price and whether they are comfortable enough to actually wear. One pair costs more than buying a PlayStation 5 for three people, and the large size raises doubts about how well they will stay on during sports. Whether people will truly want to wear them every day is something only time will tell.