Snap, the company behind Snapchat, introduced 5th century Spectacles AR Glasses six months ago. Currently, the company is releasing a number of new features aimed at improving the geographical AR experience.
Released in September 2024, Spectacles is still a highly developer kit, with AR glasses only having 45 minutes of standalone battery power, but Snap is one of the most attractive companies that are actively and aggressively engaging developers to build key content they may find in consumer AR glasses all day long in the near future.
Although not there yet, SNAP has announced that developers can start building integrated lenses (APPs) of data from GPS, GNSS, compass headings, and custom locations, essentially DEVS has access to geolocation data for a better outdoor AR experience.
SNAP highlighted several sample lenses to show off the integration, including Utopia Labs. Navigator, Guide users with snapmap tiles Paspioneer, This allows users to create AR walking courses.
Geographic location data also helped Niantic bring multiplayer Beyond Peridotthe AR PET simulator is exclusively for glasses. The recent update also links the mobile version with glasses Peridotensuring that progress within the AR glasses experience is carried over to mobile.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vidqgaCxmtm
Similarly, SNAP collaborated with Wabisabi to integrate the machine learning model SnapML doggo Quest, Gaming dog walking AR app, Allows you to overlay digital effects on the poper when tracking metrics such as routes and step counts.
Today’s update comes with a few more platform features, including the ability to easily add leaderboards to lenses, an AR keyboard for hand-crafted text input, and an improved ability to open lens links from messaging threads.
The update also features three new hand tracking features: phone detectors that identify improvements to grab gestures when the user is holding the phone in his hand, as well as targeting targets to reduce false positives during typing.
Additionally, SNAP kicks off “Spectacles Community Challenges” on April 1, allowing teams to win cash prizes for updates or updates to existing lenses judged by engagement, technical excellence and lens quality. The company says it will hand out more than $20,000 each month for the top five new lenses, top five updated lenses and top open source lenses.
This brings glasses to more than just a developer, following Snap’s recent bid. In January, SNAP announced it would make the five-generation device more affordable for students and teachers, cutting the price to $594 with 12 months of unsubscribed access, then went down to $49.50 a month due to continued use of the headset.
Snap’s glasses remain developer-focused devices, but these updates demonstrate our long-term ambitions for mainstream AR adoption, particularly competing with companies such as Meta, Apple, and Google. A better geographical experience is undoubtedly a key part of the puzzle that makes AR glasses a daily need rather than a niche tool.
