Snapchat blindly launches the ugliest AR glasses we’ve ever seen

Snapchat is a teen social platform, and should be the primary focus of all the debate around controls and restrictions on kids, but let’s just gloss over that and hold our annual summit and take the focus off the dangers of our platform by announcing the single ugliest product we’ve seen this year, or perhaps many years.

Sure, I think you look ridiculous wearing Apple Vision Pro, or Oculus Quest, but those are made to be worn at home, in private for entertainment or productivity.

But Snapchat’s promo shots of their new fifth generation Spectacles are anything but private.

These are large AR (Augmented Reality) glasses which allow you to see the world around you, but with augmented virtual objects projected in place around you.

They look barely more advanced, in fact possibly less so than the Epson Moverio smart glasses we saw over ten years ago!

Spectacles first started as sunnies with cameras in them which you could “snap” from – well ahead of the RayBan Meta glasses which at their core do the same thing.

Snap – the company behind Snapchat say the new spectacles are powered by their own new Snap OS which allows you to navigate the operating system with your hands and voice, with the menu in the palm of your hand.

I accept that AR is an exciting prospect, but if you’re telling me kids are going to want to wear these? You’re kidding.

They aren’t available as a product to buy, instead they are essentially a developer prototype allowing developers to create apps and experiences for the glasses.

Let’s hope that’s all they are, and that Snap can miniaturise dramatically the concept of Spectacles with AR. Anyway, what would I know, I don’t see fashion, so perhaps these are cool:)