I tried out Snap’s $2,200 smart glasses.

My favorite experience with the Specs, Snap’s latest augmented reality glasses, was playing dominoes. Sitting across from a Snap employee sporting the same chunky specs, I could select a virtual domino with a pinch and then drop it in place, watching the tile snap down on a real table. This shared digital experience was something I hadn’t encountered with other VR headsets or smart glasses.

Snap is fully committed to AR glasses, having spent over five years developing the technology and releasing two generations of glasses primarily for a select group of developers. The company aims to break free from the constraints of being just another app in a crowded marketplace and instead lead the charge for the next major platform.

Now, Snap is gearing up to launch its first consumer AR glasses, the Specs, this fall. This indicates that Snap believes these glasses are ready for everyday users at a price point of $2,195. They come packed with ambitious features, but after an afternoon of testing at Snap’s offices, I’m left wondering if they’re truly ready for prime time.

The Specs are bold, oversized glasses available in two lens sizes, 47mm and 52mm. Their striking design is likely intended to make a statement—there’s no mistaking them for ordinary eyewear, unlike Meta’s Ray-Bans. Personally, I find them a bit too conspicuous; my style leans more towards “Elder Millennial Who Shops At Warby Parker.” However, their bulkiness is also due to the hardware that allows them to function as a standalone computer, eliminating the need for a phone, compute puck, or external battery.

While they may look hefty, the Specs aren’t as heavy as they appear. They weigh more than my Warby Parker glasses, which I can wear comfortably all day, but they didn’t feel as cumbersome as a full VR headset. They felt sturdy during my testing; I shook my head, and they stayed in place without slipping. I wouldn’t recommend wearing them for a game of pickup basketball, but they held up well while walking around. They did cause my ears to sag slightly, and I didn’t have enough time with them to determine if they would become uncomfortable over a full four-hour battery cycle.

Using the Specs is akin to a blend of smart glasses and a VR headset. You can see menus, app windows, and elements of whatever app (“lens”) you’re using, like the digital dominoes, right in front of your eyes. These elements overlay whatever you’re looking at through the lenses, which feature waveguide displays capable of showing “16 million colors” and “sharp, high-resolution visuals” (though Snap hasn’t disclosed the exact resolution).

Thanks to the hand-tracking technology, you can pinch and drag to interact with the interface, resizing windows or moving dominoes onto the game board. Snap even claims you can snap your fingers to take a picture in the Specs’ Snapchat app. You can have windows follow your head movements, keeping them in your line of sight no matter where you look. Accessing a home button, a Control Center-like menu, and status information like the time is done by holding up your palm, reminiscent of the ill-fated Humane Pin.

However, my limited testing revealed that the interface was somewhat finicky. I often had to pinch multiple times or ensure my hand was positioned just right for things to work properly. I struggled with the two-part action of flipping my hand up and then using my other hand to press the home button. Additionally, in bright sunlight, the augmented reality graphics were much harder to see.

Snap has outpaced competitors like Meta by shipping glasses with displays in both lenses, allowing for a true AR effect rather than just a flat screen. However, placing the AR display directly in your line of sight means the Specs’ 51-degree field of view is a significant limitation. This caused digital elements to frequently slip out of view during my demos, breaking the illusion that they were part of the real world. For instance, while watching Lanterns on HBO Max in a moving car, I had to shrink the window to see it better. While playing dominoes, I found myself constantly turning my head to keep track of the game pieces and the board.

In 2026, the Specs also come equipped with a dedicated AI chatbot assistant, but my experience with it was slow and inconsistent. Using the “Hey Specs” command, I asked it to show me funny cat videos on YouTube, as suggested by a Snap representative. I had to repeat the command because it didn’t register the first time. When it did work, it took about 15 seconds for the Specs to pull up a YouTube page with search results for funny cat videos.

Watching that video highlighted a peculiar social dynamic that users will need to navigate if AR glasses gain popularity. On the YouTube page, I selected a random cat video collection, and it played in the background while the Snap rep continued talking to me. Even though the Specs were playing audio through their onboard speakers, the Snap rep standing next to me said they couldn’t hear anything.

This situation felt strange—these glasses allow you to watch and listen to a private video while maintaining eye contact with someone else. Even when I wasn’t watching a video, I found myself distracted during in-person conversations because my attention was split between what I was seeing and the gestures I was making for tasks that only I could perceive. I didn’t feel fully present.

Similar to Meta glasses, which are currently facing scrutiny over privacy concerns, the Specs also allow you to take photos and record video. They feature a privacy indicator light, which is arguably more noticeable than Meta’s version: instead of being off to the side, the Specs’ light is centrally located. However, given the growing backlash against Meta’s glasses, it’s uncertain whether a blinking light will sufficiently alleviate concerns about unwanted recording.

In 2024, Snap’s CEO expressed that there’s an opportunity for computers to evolve to support more natural social interactions, allowing people to engage with each other more directly. Today, Snap’s message is simpler: they aim to “make computing more human” with the Specs. Yet, even in controlled demos, I found the Specs to be more of a computer than other hardware; they were undeniably noticeable on my head, and the digital content that only I could see interfered with my interactions with others in the room.

Despite these challenges, the development of AR glasses is underway. Meta is working on its own version, Google has launched a new glasses initiative, OpenAI is reportedly exploring smart glasses, and Apple is expected to announce Ray-Ban-like smart glasses next year. It’s clear that the industry sees glasses equipped with cameras and screens as the next frontier. The Specs will serve as a crucial test for what AR glasses can achieve, but even after years of development, they may still be arriving too soon.