Spectacles AR

2021: Announcement of fourth generation AR glasses

At the end of May 2021, Snap introduced fourth-generation Spectacles AR augmented reality glasses. They are equipped with two waveguide displays that overlay the surrounding reality with digital effects created using Snapchat software tools. In addition, the glasses are equipped with four built-in microphones, two stereo speakers and an integrated touchpad.

Front cameras help spectacles identify objects and surfaces that the user looks at so that graphic elements more naturally interact with the world around them. The functions of the glasses can be controlled using voice commands by saying "Hey Snapchat."

Snap Spectacles AR Points

Glasses weigh 134 grams, which is more than double the weight of the previous version, but much less than the Microsoft Hololens AR headset. They are designed to be worn indoors or outdoors, and the brightness of the display reaches 2,000 nits. The company clearly made a compromise, preferring the brightness of the display to the detriment of battery life, which is only 30 minutes. However, the device is not designed for the consumer market, but for developers who create augmented reality effects for Snapchat using Lens Studio.

The first two generations of smart glasses of the company, released in 2016 and 2018, looked like sunglasses and had a camera in the corner of the frame. With its help, it was possible to shoot videos, and later photos, which could then be transferred to a smartphone and published on Snapchat or another social network. Fourth-generation Snap glasses were created by the secret hardware division of Snap Lab, which is also developing a drone with a camera. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said the mass distribution of AR glasses will take about a decade.^[1]

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