Snap Inc, the company behind Snapchat, has unveiled the latest version of its innovative Spectacles AR Glasses, dubbed Spectacles ’24. The brand-new machine boasts significant upgrades to its field of view, decision-making capabilities, and hand-tracking precision, while also revamping its software foundation with a comprehensive overhaul. However, it’s crucial to note that the scope should remain concentrated solely on contractors. Spectacles ’24 is now available, offering an innovative solution for developers. The company is targeting this product towards them with a unique pricing model: a $100 monthly subscription over the course of a year, totaling $1,200.
Following the success of Spectacles 4, which introduced shows and actual augmented reality (AR) capabilities to the flagship Spectacles lineup over three years ago, Snap Inc. is now building on this momentum by launching a new generation of AR glasses that takes innovation to the next level. Spectacles ’24 undergoes significant advancements as it moves closer to a market-ready prototype of this innovative technology.
Spectacles ’24 Specs and Pricing
Spectacles ’24 are a pioneering pair of standalone Augmented Reality (AR) glasses. The entire apparatus that drives the device is seamlessly integrated into the frame of the glasses, eliminating the need for any external connections or tethering. Here’s a direct comparison of the Spectacles ’24 specs alongside their predecessors.
| 2×LCoS | ||
| unknown | 480×564 | |
| 37 | unknown | |
| 120Hz | unknown | |
| Waveguide (clear with dynamic dimming) | Waveguide (clear) | |
| 46° (diagonal) | 26.3° (diagonal) | |
| IPD (software program adjustment) | unknown | |
| 57mm to 71mm | unknown | |
| 2×Snapdragon (unspecified) | Snapdragon XR1 | |
| unknown | unknown | |
| unknown | 32GB | |
| Wi-Fi 6, GPS/GNSS | unknown | |
| USB-C | USB-C | |
| Hand-tracking, voice, smartphone controller | Hand-tracking | |
| In-headset audio system | In-headset audio system | |
| 6× | 4× | |
| Up to 45 minutes of continuous use (extendable with an external power source). | A half-hour budget bucket typically accommodates four expense categories. | |
| 226g | 134g | |
| Inside-out (no exterior beacons) 13ms latency |
Inside-out (no exterior beacons) | |
| No | No | |
| No | No | |
| 2×RGB, 2×infrared | 2×RGB | |
| Sure | No | |
While the latest advancements bring notable improvements, including a substantial 95% increase in field-of-view, enhanced camera systems for more accurate head and hand tracking, and extended battery life, these gains have been offset by an overall weight increase. The Spectacles ’24 tips the scales at 226g, a notable increase from its predecessor’s lightweight 134g. The brand-new Spectacles are noticeably larger and more substantial, resembling goggles rather than traditional glasses.
While 24-inch spectacles may seem like a reasonable step towards appealing to customers, they remain elusive.
The corporation is currently focused on delivering the machine to builders, enabling them to start building innovative features. The corporation is introducing a compelling pricing structure: Spectacles ’24, valued at $100 per month, with a 12-month commitment, commencing immediately. To make the machine more accessible, the company is now offering a monthly payment option of $100, reducing the initial financial hurdle to just $1,200 upfront.
Software program Overhaul & Social Focus
While hardware advancements are taking their time to reach consumers’ hands, Snap Inc is surging ahead with significant progress on the software front. The Spectacles ’24 update comes hand-in-hand with a comprehensive revamp of the underlying software infrastructure.
Introducing ‘SnapOS’, a groundbreaking innovation that seamlessly updates the software program foundation of the original Spectacles, featuring a user-friendly interface and intuitive interactions designed specifically around hand-tracking capabilities.
The corporation is endeavoring to imbue Snap OS with social functionalities, including the capacity for Spectacles ’24 to recognize adjacent glasses and effortlessly integrate into their session, thereby enabling a seamless co-located augmented reality experience.
The augmented reality (AR) experience also features a ‘spectator’ mode, allowing someone with a smartphone to tune in and view the AR session in real-time. Unlike spectators viewing AR experiences through Quest or other headsets, the smartphone user can directly perceive the augmented reality content from their unique vantage point, distinct from merely witnessing a first-person viewpoint from the headset. Despite this, many headsets’ default ‘see what I see’ function is capable of being supported.
Your smartphone offers additional captivating integrations. The freedom to harness its versatility lies in its ability to serve as both a movement controller, a digital gamepad, and a conduit for projecting apps from your phone onto Spectacles, providing a floating, yet non-interactive, visual representation of the app within the headset.
After deploying these innovative social and smartphone-enhanced features, they will exclusively function seamlessly within apps specifically crafted to leverage their unique benefits; nevertheless, integrating them at the OS/SDK level unlocks intriguing possibilities for further development.
Snapchat has unveiled the latest iteration of Lens Studio, a device that enables developers to craft augmented reality (AR) experiences for both Snapchat and Spectacles, its smart glasses platform.
The cutting-edge foundation of Lens Studio 5.0 enables the creation of even more sophisticated, robust Lenses, leveraging advancements in TypeScript, JavaScript, and refined model management tools designed to facilitate collaborative development. With SnapML, developers can seamlessly integrate custom machine learning models directly into Lenses, enabling real-time object detection, tracking, and optimization. Here is the rewritten text:
“We’re thrilled to announce that our Spectacles platform will now leverage the power of cloud-hosted multimodal AI models, thanks to a new partnership with OpenAI.” Promptly, this feature enables builders to seamlessly integrate fresh styles into their Spectacles experiences, providing additional context about what users perceive, communicate, and engage with.
Snap Inc claims its Spectacles software platform features no “developer tax”, implying that the company won’t claim a share of revenue from developers who monetize their content through the platform. While there’s currently no mechanism to market software on Spectacles and scant audience, the announcement might raise eyebrows; nonetheless, the company aims to establish developer expectations for its intended client product platform.
