Snap has unveiled its next-generation Spectacles AR glasses, which will be significantly lighter than previous models and feature advanced AI assistance powered by OpenAI and Google Gemini integrations. The announcement at the Augmented World Expo 2025 positions Snap to compete directly with Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, addressing the major complaint about the weight of earlier Spectacles while adding multimodal AI capabilities for everyday use.
What you should know: The new Specs represent a major hardware and software upgrade designed to make AR glasses more practical for daily wear.
- The glasses will be powered by Snapdragon processors and run on an upgraded Snap OS with deep AI integrations.
- Unlike the fifth-generation Spectacles released in 2024 (which were developer-only), these new glasses will launch publicly in 2026.
- They offer both AI assistance features and entertainment experiences like shared games and portable workstation capabilities.
The big picture: Snap is betting that lightweight, AI-powered AR glasses will become the next major computing platform, following the success of Meta’s Ray-Ban collaboration.
- The company is addressing the primary weakness of previous Spectacles—their weight—which was a major barrier to adoption.
- By integrating with established AI platforms like OpenAI and Google Gemini, Snap is positioning itself alongside tech giants in the smart glasses race.
How the AI features work: Developers can build multimodal AI-powered experiences using integrations with major AI platforms.
- Examples include real-time text translation, currency conversion, recipe suggestions, and other contextual assistance.
- The glasses will support over 40 languages through an Automated Speech Recognition API with “high accuracy.”
- Three new APIs enable spatial intelligence, speech recognition, and 3D object generation within AR experiences.
Developer tools and capabilities: Snap introduced several new APIs and management tools to support the Spectacles ecosystem.
- The Depth Module API translates 2D information from large language models to accurately anchor AR content in three dimensions.
- Fleet management tools allow monitoring multiple pairs of Specs, while guided mode enables single- or multiplayer experiences.
- WebXR support will soon allow developers to build web-based AR experiences directly in the browser.
Competitive landscape: The announcement comes as major tech companies race to develop practical smart glasses.
- Google recently demonstrated its own smart glasses with Gemini integration at Google I/O, featuring similar lightweight design and AI capabilities.
- Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses have proven there’s consumer demand for tech-enhanced eyewear that doesn’t sacrifice style or comfort.
- The combination of lightweight design, multimodal AI, and AR capabilities puts Snap’s offering in direct competition with both Google and Meta’s approaches.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...