Hey everyone, it’s Cosmo. The new Spectacles are NOT perfect, but Snap deserves credit for shipping working AR glasses devs can actually build for. I recently acquired two pairs, and I made an unboxing video as well as an overview of my thoughts after spending some time with them:

The Good

• Snap built working standalone AR glasses with hand tracking! This feels like the DK1 of AR.

• Connected Lenses are fun! They allow you to play the same game/experience in the same environment with someone else.

• The ability to see your real eyes through the glasses, not simulated ones with EyeSight.

• Spectator mode and using your phone as a controller takes advantage of the phones we already have. Apple, take note!

• Easier to demo compared to AVP without eye calibration.

• Can be used outside without looking like a total dork (compared to AVP).

The Bad

• Battery life is quite low, although you can alleviate this with an external battery.

• Tracking and frame rate is often a bit jittery.

• Hand tracking is inconsistent below a certain level with the limited camera FOV.

• No eye tracking.

• Developers must use Lens Studio to develop apps and games. This makes developing cross-platform apps with Unity impossible.

Spectacles are a compelling taste of our AR future, although they very much feel like a dev kit (which is okay). I’m excited to see how Snap improves upon their shortcomings in the consumer release!

Magic Beans of the Week

Thank you for reading. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! Till next week! 😊

Best,
Cosmo