Snap Prepares Consumer Launch of AI Glasses After $3 Billion, 11-Year Development

Quick Facts

• Snap has invested $3 billion over 11 years developing AR glasses, with consumer launch planned for 2026
• Company formed standalone Specs subsidiary and partnered with Qualcomm for Snapdragon XR chips
• Snap reported Q4 2025 revenue of $1.72 billion, beating analyst expectations with surprise profit

Snap is preparing to launch consumer AR glasses in 2026 after spending $3 billion over 11 years on development. CEO Evan Spiegel revealed the investment scale at last year’s Augmented World Expo as the company moves closer to public release.

The company formed a standalone subsidiary called Specs Inc. on January 28, 2026, and announced a multi-year partnership with Qualcomm. The chipmaker will provide Snapdragon XR platform chips designed specifically for AR and extended reality devices.

“We’re so close to launch,” Spiegel said during a February 4, 2026 earnings call. He described the moment as “urgent” given that people spend over seven hours daily staring at screens while AI transforms work patterns.

Snap reported strong Q4 2025 financial results, with revenue rising 10% year-over-year to $1.72 billion and surprising analysts with earnings per share of $0.03 versus expected losses. The company also authorized a $500 million stock buyback program.

The new Specs glasses will be “much smaller” and “at a fraction of the weight” compared to previous versions, according to Spiegel. The devices will integrate with OpenAI and Google’s Gemini AI models, enabling developers to build multimodal AI-powered applications.

Snap faces intense competition in the smart glasses market. Meta held 70% market share last year according to IDC, followed by Xiaomi at 8.5%. Spiegel dismissed Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses as “AirPods and a camera,” claiming Snap’s glasses will be “infinitely more capable.”

Developers have been testing Spectacles since 2024, creating applications like Super Travel for real-time translation and Drum Kit for music instruction. The developer ecosystem preparation aims to ensure software availability at consumer launch.

“Success will depend less on breakthrough hardware innovation, but more on ecosystem integration and software value,” said Francisco Jeronimo, VP of devices research at IDC.

If Snap delivers on its 2026 timeline, it would become the first major tech company to release mainstream AR glasses, potentially claiming an early lead in the race to create the smartphone successor.

Read more: Snap gets closer to releasing new AI glasses after years-long hiatus