A Computer on the Face for $2,195.. Snap's Bet to Save Itself

SadaNews - The American company "Snap" has unveiled its latest product, augmented reality glasses priced at over $2,100, called "Specs", set to go on sale this fall, at a time when the company is facing financial setbacks according to a report by the American news agency "Bloomberg".

Evan Spiegel, co-founder and CEO of "Snap", described these glasses as the future of computing and the use of computers, as the glasses can run applications developed by "Snap" as well as applications from third-party companies.

The glasses come in a sleek design resembling regular glasses, but with a larger and thicker frame than the smart glasses offered by its competitors such as "Meta" and others. They are available in two sizes with interchangeable lenses for prescription lenses, and can automatically transform into sunglasses based on different lighting conditions.

A report from the tech site "TechSpot" indicates that "Snap" views these glasses as wearable computers, weighing up to 136 grams for the larger version and relying on several leading "Qualcomm" processors.

The "Snap" statement includes various uses for the new smart glasses, ranging from receiving directions while walking, virtual workspaces, and multiplayer games to several educational tools and, of course, features of artificial intelligence, as the glasses' AI can see its surroundings and interact with the user through the glasses.

A New Type of Smart Glasses

Spiegel confirms in an earlier interview that "Specs" provides a vastly different experience from traditional smart glasses offered by Apple or Meta, as the smart glasses sector is divided into two categories: either full-size virtual reality headsets that cannot be worn on the streets, or glasses that can be used daily but are weaker in computing capabilities.

However, "Specs" combines both concepts uniquely, offering glasses that can be worn and used daily, equipped with AI capabilities and computing power comparable to traditional virtual reality glasses.

Control of "Specs" glasses relies on hand movement tracking, a trend similar to what competing companies in the smart glasses sector are doing. "Meta" glasses rely on a wristband that captures hand movement, while Apple glasses "Vision Pro" track the movement of the head, eyes, and hands together.

Spiegel explained during his conversation with "Bloomberg" that "Specs" glasses feature the advantage of being the first to offer these capabilities, adding: "We have invested in augmented reality and developer tools for a long time, having offered over 7,000 patents".

Regarding the glasses' price of approximately $2,195, Spiegel mentioned that the price is not far from that of competitors, as Apple offers its headset for $3,500, adding that "Specs" deserves this price more than its competitors because it provides performance close to that of expensive virtual reality headsets, but with the ease of wear similar to models that do not have a display screen.

A "Bloomberg" report states that the real question is not about justifying the glasses' price, but about users' willingness to buy such products, noting that "Vision Pro" glasses face difficulties in widespread adoption despite the significant support Apple provides and its extensive marketing efforts.

Saving What Can Be Saved

The unveiling of the new glasses comes against the backdrop of laying off 16% of Snap's total employees in an attempt by the company to reduce costs, according to a "Bloomberg" report, in addition to the company's shares falling by about 30% this year compared to previous years.

"Snap" hopes not to repeat the tragedy of 2017, where the company overestimated the demand for the first generation of its "Spectacles" glasses, ending up with an unsold inventory of glasses valued at about $40 million according to a "TechSpot" report.

Source: Al Jazeera