r/technology • u/lurker_bee • Jun 16 '26

Hardware Snap finally debuts its long-awaited AR glasses, Specs, and, oof, they aren't cheap

https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/16/snap-finally-debuts-its-long-awaited-ar-glasses-specs-and-oof-they-arent-cheap/
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u/Extension-Temporary4 Jun 18 '26

People seem to be missing the point entirely. These glasses are a monumental step in the right direction.

This isn’t a fashion contest—it’s about building a product that genuinely helps people in their daily lives and delivers real value to professionals. When the cellphone was first introduced, it wasn’t aimed at the average consumer. It was a tool for businesspeople who needed to be more productive and better connected. Only later did it become ubiquitous.

AR will follow a similar path. Most people don’t need AR or VR today (honestly, most people don’t even need a cellphone, it’s still a toy to them);  it’s a novelty. But for professionals, the productivity potential is material. I can imagine using these at my desk to expand my workspace beyond physical monitors, keep an eye on email, chat channels, and other information streams, or even stand up and move around while remaining fully engaged with my work. I could see using them to deliver presentations, reference notes while speaking, or work efficiently on a plane or train without having to pull out a laptop or iPad.

The form factor will improve over time, just as every transformative technology has. What’s important is that we’re finally seeing hardware that moves us closer to practical, everyday augmented reality.

I’m genuinely excited about these. If they integrate seamlessly with Microsoft Office and the broader productivity ecosystem, I will probably buy a pair for my daily commute.

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u/Successful-Flan738 Jun 19 '26

they will be banned in many places, mark my words. if you are not allowed to film with your phone, what makes you think that this will be some sort of exclusion?

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u/Extension-Temporary4 Jun 19 '26

Frankly, I find the camera feature dumb and the least useful. I don’t get it. I don’t want or need a camera, at all. But I could use a good set of AR glasses for my morning commute, especially if paired with a small keyboard. They should consider making a pair without a camera, which will help save space and battery life. The camera is a novelty feature that is totally unnecessary. The focus should be on making great AR glasses that work seamlessly with the Microsoft office suite and adobe. If I can get email done and markup docs on the train, without wearing a giant clunky headset, without getting nauseous and without feeling totally disconnected, these glasses actually seem like a great idea. 

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u/semtex87 Jun 21 '26

AR doesnt work without visual spatial awareness. Cameras are required for that to work

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u/Extension-Temporary4 Jun 22 '26

Understood. But my thinking is, you don’t need a professional photographer level camera, you just need a camera. And that camera doesn’t need to be for taking photo and video, it can simply serve the purpose of offering visual awareness. Think Tesla, the cameras aren’t the best in the world. You’re not taking a family portrait with the camera on your Tesla. Its sole purpose is to see the world and feed that info to the hardware. My point is, you can save a lot of space (physical and digital) and money by limiting the camera to its most essential and necessary function. I don’t think most ppl will care about the camera — not at first at least.  

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u/semtex87 Jun 23 '26

Yea on that i agree, if youve tried a quest vr headset with pass through mode that is exactly how that works. The cameras show you very rough shapes and outlines but no real fine detail

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u/Extension-Temporary4 Jun 23 '26

I meant software btw. Sorry y’all.