About half a year ago, Snap—the creators of Snapchat—unveiled their fifth generation of Spectacles AR glasses, and now they’re rolling out some exciting new features to enhance geo-located AR experiences.
Introduced in September 2024, these Spectacles are still predominantly a developer kit, featuring a modest battery life of just 45 minutes. However, Snap is among the few companies actively encouraging developers to create the kind of staple content we might see in everyday consumer AR glasses in the not-too-distant future.
Snap recently announced that developers can now craft Lenses (essentially apps) that utilize data from GPS, GNSS, compass heading, and custom locations. This means developers have access to geo-location data, paving the way for improved outdoor AR experiences.
To showcase this integration, Snap highlighted a few sample Lenses. One standout is Utopia Labs’ NavigatAR, designed to guide users with Snap Map Tiles. Another, Path Pioneer, allows users to set up AR walking courses.
This geo-location data also played a role in Niantic’s latest update for Peridot Beyond, their AR pet simulator exclusive to Spectacles. The update supports multiplayer features and links Spectacles to the mobile version of Peridot, enabling players to carry their progress from AR glasses over to their mobile devices.
Snap teamed up with Wabisabi to bring SnapML, their machine learning model, into Doggo Quest—a gamified dog-walking AR app. This integration lets users overlay digital effects as they track metrics like routes and step counts for their furry friends.
The latest update unveils more platform improvements, such as seamless integration of leaderboards into Lenses, an AR keyboard for hand-tracked text input, and enhanced functionality for opening Lens links directly from messaging threads.
Additionally, the update introduces three new hand-tracking features: a phone detector to recognize when a user has a phone in their hand, a grab gesture, and refined targeting intent to minimize typing errors.
In line with these developments, Snap is launching ‘Spectacles Community Challenges’ starting April 1st. This initiative allows teams to win cash prizes for submitting new or updated Lenses, with awards based on criteria like engagement, technical excellence, and overall Lens quality. Each month, Snap plans to distribute over $20,000 to the top five new Lenses, the top five updated ones, and the best open source Lens.
Earlier this year, Snap also made a notable move to reach beyond developers by announcing a more affordable pricing plan for the fifth-gen device aimed at students and teachers. The plan offers the device at $594 for the first 12 months without subscription, reverting to $49.50 monthly thereafter for ongoing use.
Although Snap’s Spectacles still mainly target developers, these updates are a clear signal of the company’s long-term vision for mainstream AR adoption. With competitors like Meta, Apple, and Google also in the fray, crafting richer geo-located experiences is crucial in transforming AR glasses from a niche gadget into an everyday essential.
