Augmented reality glasses have never caught on, but Qualcomm and Snap are trying again.
The two companies announced Friday that they plan to release a sixth iteration of Snap Spectacles by the end of the year.
The augmented reality glasses blend visual images onto the real world. With the glasses, 3D graphics appear to float, hover or rest on tables and floors.
During a demo of the previous generation of Spectacles, one user described being able to stack Lego pieces (that didn’t actually exist) and paint flowers and vines across ceilings and walls using her hands.
The newest version of Spectacles will integrate higher-end cameras, graphics and AI. The interface is powered by Snap OS and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR platform.
“The next era of computing will be defined by devices that understand what you see, hear and say and respond instantly to the world around you,” said Cristiano Amon, president and CEO of Qualcomm, in a release.
More than just interactive, the glasses create what isn’t there — offering virtual yoga instructors, real-time translation, and recipe suggestions based on what’s in your fridge. Snap has teased these features for its new Specs, but they’re not yet available to consumers.
For Qualcomm, this move is part of a broader push to diversify its portfolio as it increasingly loses revenue from smartphones. The local tech giant also powers Meta Ray-Bans.
Snap is also under pressure.
As ad revenue growth has slowed to just 4% year-over-year, Evan Spiegel, CEO and co-founder of Snap, says he feels “squeezed between the tech giants and smaller competitors.” Bringing these Spectacles to consumers is a “crucible moment,” he said.
Both Qualcomm and Snap have been working on the Spectacles for the past decade.
When the Spectacles debuted in 2016, they looked less like the future of computing and more like something you would find in a cereal box — which is not all bad considering Snap’s young user base.
The round, oversized frames came in Snap’s signature black and yellow, with a camera built into the side. In the beginning, the flashy, plastic glasses were mostly adopted by influencers.
Over the last decade, the two companies continued to experiment with the design, but until now, they catered more to developers — instead of introducing AR to the masses, they delivered the tech to the small market of people already experimenting with it.
And while users acknowledged the advanced technology, some poked fun at the clunky frames.
One Reddit user called them “the Cybertruck of glasses.”
Snap said that the next generation will look different, though they have yet to release photos.
Frames aside, other users have questioned the privacy and the legality of the tech.
One Reddit user raised concerns about a surveillance society in which bystanders cannot tell whether someone’s glasses are functioning as a high-definition camera or corrective lenses.
Snap did not respond for comment, but in the news release, said that the new glasses provide “more private interactions,” without specifying how.