Latest news with #Spectacles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Snap Stock Was a Winner on Wednesday
The company formally introduced its latest product. This is Specs, the new iteration of its smart glasses line. 10 stocks we like better than Snap › Social media company Snap (NYSE: SNAP) saw its share price creep higher on Hump Day, thanks mainly to the announcement of a new product. The company will face some stiff competition, however, so the market's bullishness was guarded; the stock only rose by 1.2% on the news. That was good enough to beat the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC), though, as that indicator fell by 0.3% on the day. Toward the end of Tuesday's trading session, Snap announced that it is launching a new line of tech-enhanced eyeglasses called Specs. In the announcement, made at this year's annual Augmented World Expo, the company said the rollout would occur next year. It did not get more specific. It did promise several attractive features of the upcoming augmented reality (AR) products, including artificial intelligence (AI) assistance, social connectivity, and a virtual workstation in case users feel like being productive and not playful. In its official press release touting the eyewear, Snap co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel said, "We believe the time is right for a revolution in computing that naturally integrates our digital experiences with the physical world." "We couldn't be more excited about the extraordinary progress in artificial intelligence and augmented reality that is enabling new, human-centered computing experiences," he added. Specs is the continuation of the company's digitally enhanced glasses product line, Spectacles. It introduced the first Spectacles in 2016. There's a big mountain to climb here, though, and that belongs to Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META). Nearly two years ago, Snap's social media rival introduced its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, with the product earning generally positive reviews, especially for its feature set. Snap will have to keep on its toes to carve out meaningful share in this still-limited market. Before you buy stock in Snap, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Snap wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $649,102!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $882,344!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 996% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 174% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Snap Stock Was a Winner on Wednesday was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Snap to launch smart glasses for users in 2026 in challenge to Meta
HighlightsSnap Inc. will launch its first-ever smart glasses for consumers, called Specs, next year, intensifying competition with Meta Platforms, Inc. in the wearable technology market. Snap Inc. has invested over $3 billion in developing augmented reality glasses over the past 11 years, highlighting its commitment to integrating technology into wearable products. Snap Inc. plans to collaborate with Niantic, Inc. to enhance the Lens Studio application, which enables creators to design and publish augmented reality lenses for Snapchat. Snap will launch its first-ever smart glasses for all consumers next year, ratcheting up competition with bigger rival Meta in the wearable technology market . The augmented reality smart glasses, called Specs, will be lightweight, the social media company said on Tuesday. Long known for its messaging app Snapchat and animated filters, Snap has been doubling down on AR, which can overlay digital effects onto photos or videos of real-life surroundings through a camera or lens. Integrating technology into wearable products can open up new lucrative markets and diversify revenue streams for Snap amid an uncertain digital ad market due to changing U.S. trade policies. The company had launched its 5th generation of Spectacles glasses in September, but these were only available to developers. The company has invested more than $3 billion over 11 years developing its augmented reality glasses , Snap co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel said at the Augmented World Expo 2025 on Tuesday. "Before Snapchat had chat, we were building glasses." The popularity of Meta's Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses developed in partnership with EssilorLuxottica have prompted companies such Google to explore similar investments. Meta continues to add AI features to its glasses to attract more consumers. Snap said it would partner with augmented reality and geospatial technology platform Niantic Spatial to enhance the Lens Studio, which is an application used by creators to design, animate and publish AR lenses for Snapchat camera, and Specs.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Snap to introduce new immersive and lightweight glasses in 2026
US-based technology company Snap has unveiled plans to launch a new augmented reality (AR) product, known as Specs, in 2026. Specs is a lightweight wearable computer integrated into glasses with see-through lenses. The company has invested more than $3bn over the past 11 years to develop this lightweight wearable technology, which integrates digital experiences into a pair of glasses with transparent lenses. Specs are designed to enhance the physical environment through advanced machine learning (ML) and AI, allowing users to engage in shared experiences, gaming, and productivity tasks. Snap's vision for Specs is to overcome the limitations of smartphones, which often require users to focus on small screens rather than their surroundings. The company believes that as AI evolves, existing devices and interfaces must also adapt to fully harness AI's capabilities. Specs are intended to facilitate immersive experiences that allow users to interact with their environment in real-time. Snap is also collaborating with Niantic Spatial to integrate their Visual Positioning System into Specs, and plans to introduce WebXR support for browser-based experiences in the near future. Developers are currently 'building new experiences' for Spectacles, the fifth generation of Snap's glasses that were released in 2024 as a precursor to Specs. Snap's announcement showcased the possibilities for developers utilising the new Specs. Among the early experiences include Gowaaa's Super Travel, a tool designed to help travellers with translation and currency conversion, and Paradiddle's Drum Kit, which supports users in mastering drumming techniques. Other applications include Pool Assist from Studio ANRK, Cookmate from Headraft, and Wisp World from Liquid City, each designed to enhance user experiences in various ways. In addition to Specs, Snap has announced significant updates to Snap OS, incorporating feedback from its developer community. Key updates include deep integrations with OpenAI and Google Cloud's Gemini, enabling the developers create of AI-powered Lenses. The new Depth Module API allows for accurate anchoring of augmented reality information in three dimensions, while the Automated Speech Recognition API supports real-time transcription in over 40 languages. New tools for developers will facilitate the creation of location-based experiences, including a Fleet Management app for monitoring Specs and Guided Navigation for AR tours. These enhancements aim to support developers such as Enklu, which operates immersive holographic theatres across the US. In 2024, Snap announced plans to cut its workforce by about 10%, reflecting ongoing job reductions in the tech sector amid economic uncertainties since 2023. "Snap to introduce new immersive and lightweight glasses in 2026" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Snap to introduce new immersive and lightweight glasses in 2026
US-based technology company Snap has unveiled plans to launch a new augmented reality (AR) product, known as Specs, in 2026. Specs is a lightweight wearable computer integrated into glasses with see-through lenses. The company has invested more than $3bn over the past 11 years to develop this lightweight wearable technology, which integrates digital experiences into a pair of glasses with transparent lenses. Specs are designed to enhance the physical environment through advanced machine learning (ML) and AI, allowing users to engage in shared experiences, gaming, and productivity tasks. Snap's vision for Specs is to overcome the limitations of smartphones, which often require users to focus on small screens rather than their surroundings. The company believes that as AI evolves, existing devices and interfaces must also adapt to fully harness AI's capabilities. Specs are intended to facilitate immersive experiences that allow users to interact with their environment in real-time. Snap is also collaborating with Niantic Spatial to integrate their Visual Positioning System into Specs, and plans to introduce WebXR support for browser-based experiences in the near future. Developers are currently 'building new experiences' for Spectacles, the fifth generation of Snap's glasses that were released in 2024 as a precursor to Specs. Snap's announcement showcased the possibilities for developers utilising the new Specs. Among the early experiences include Gowaaa's Super Travel, a tool designed to help travellers with translation and currency conversion, and Paradiddle's Drum Kit, which supports users in mastering drumming techniques. Other applications include Pool Assist from Studio ANRK, Cookmate from Headraft, and Wisp World from Liquid City, each designed to enhance user experiences in various ways. In addition to Specs, Snap has announced significant updates to Snap OS, incorporating feedback from its developer community. Key updates include deep integrations with OpenAI and Google Cloud's Gemini, enabling the developers create of AI-powered Lenses. The new Depth Module API allows for accurate anchoring of augmented reality information in three dimensions, while the Automated Speech Recognition API supports real-time transcription in over 40 languages. New tools for developers will facilitate the creation of location-based experiences, including a Fleet Management app for monitoring Specs and Guided Navigation for AR tours. These enhancements aim to support developers such as Enklu, which operates immersive holographic theatres across the US. In 2024, Snap announced plans to cut its workforce by about 10%, reflecting ongoing job reductions in the tech sector amid economic uncertainties since 2023. "Snap to introduce new immersive and lightweight glasses in 2026" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
India Today
3 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Snap to launch smaller and lighter Specs in 2026, will compete with Meta Ray-Ban
Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, has revealed its plans to launch the sixth generation of its augmented reality (AR) glasses in 2026, as competition intensifies in the rapidly evolving smart glasses sector. In a departure from its previous branding, Snap announced that its forthcoming AR glasses will be called Specs, moving away from the familiar Spectacles name used for earlier iterations. According to the company, the Specs will utilise advanced AR technology, enabling wearers to interact with digital content seamlessly overlaid onto their real-world surroundings. advertisementWhile Snap has yet to confirm either a price point or an exact release date for the new device, the company has stated that Specs will be both smaller and lighter than earlier models. The previous generation of Spectacles, launched in September 2024, was made available exclusively to developers through a leasing model that required a monthly payment of $99 (around Rs 8,500) over the course of a year.'We couldn't be more excited about the extraordinary progress in artificial intelligence and augmented reality that is enabling new, human-centered computing experiences,' Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said in a statement announcing the Specs. The upcoming Specs are aimed squarely at consumers and will run on Snap's own Snap OS operating system. In a significant development, Snap has opened up the platform to allow developers to integrate Google's Gemini AI models into applications designed for the smart glasses. This addition offers coders greater flexibility when creating software for the device, expanding beyond the previously limited access to OpenAI's GPT language models. The integration of multiple AI platforms is expected to fuel innovation within Snap's AR ecosystem, offering a wider range of capabilities for developers and users alike. advertisement Snap first entered the wearables market in 2016 with the launch of its original Spectacles, priced at $130 (around Rs 11,120). Those early models were relatively basic, allowing users to record short videos for upload to Snapchat. In 2021, Snap advanced its product line by introducing AR displays to its Spectacles, offering users the ability to see virtual objects projected onto their real-world view. These AR-enabled glasses represented a major step forward for the company as it sought to establish itself in the emerging market for head-mounted Snap's initial foray, competition within the AR and VR space has grown considerably. Earlier this year, Apple entered the market with its high-end Vision Pro headset, which went on sale in February 2024 for $3,500 (around Rs 3,00,000). Meanwhile, Meta has broadened its range of hardware offerings, which now include the popular Quest VR headsets, the Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses, and the experimental Project Orion AR glasses, which were unveiled last a growing number of major tech players investing heavily in AR and mixed reality technologies, Snap's upcoming Specs will enter an increasingly crowded and highly competitive market. However, the company hopes that its unique combination of lightweight design, expanded AI integration, and its deep roots in augmented reality development will allow it to carve out a meaningful share of the smart glasses market as consumers continue to embrace wearable technology.
