Snapchat unveils its next-generation Augmented Reality Spectacles, powered by a new Snap OS system, hand/voice interaction and advanced spatial tracking. Between developer access at 99 $/month, use cases for brands and strategic duel against Meta and TikTok, here's what's really going to change for influence, retail and social advertising.
The New Generation Shows mark a concrete shift towards the useful augmented realitymore fluid and better integrated into everyday life. Thanks to wider field of visionand photochromic lenses and a weight approx. 226 gIn this way, usage becomes credible beyond the simple "wow factor". The stakes go beyond gadgets: they affect commerce, events, design and advertising.
Beyond the hardware, Snap OS creates a bridge between gesture, voice and understanding of the environment thanks to the Snap Spatial Engine. Social interactions are reinventing themselves, especially with multi-user experiences. From demonstration to business, this announcement repositions Snap among the drivers of social AR, in a context where Meta and TikTok are also accelerating their own Spectacles.
Snapchat unveils its next-generation Augmented Reality Spectacles: what's really changing?
At the heart of this generation, Snap OS orchestrates detection of handsthe voice control and the spatial monitoring via four cameras that feed the Snap Spatial Engine. The result: AR effects are better anchored in reality, virtual objects remain stable and coherent, and interactions become natural. Visit field of vision reduces the "porthole" effect, while the lenses are automatically tinted in the sunessential for urban use.
Snap is initially reserving the Spectacles for developers, with a 99 $/month subscription. The aim: to build a catalog of convincing experiences before opening up to the general public. This apprenticeship is reminiscent of the ecosystem of Lenses creators, but with one major difference. co-presence. Two people, for example, can play chess on the same virtual board on a real table, with every move visible and synchronized.
The competitive context weighs heavily. Meta is driving adoption with Ray-Ban and the stacking of generative AI in its services. There are useful benchmarks for measuring market tempo:
- Ray-Ban x Meta has already reached new levels of adoption, with over a million pairs sold.
- Product iterations are multiplying, between Ray-Ban news and embedded AI innovations.
- Snap is also making progress on the monetization front, as shown by this new Snapchat advertising format.
On a practical level, a culinary designer can display a recipe timeline above his worktop, detect his gestures and scroll through the steps by voice. An event reporter will trigger contextual overlays, while a personal shopper will project in-store stock information. In all cases, the promise lies in a reduced latency and a hands-free ergonomics.
| Key Features | Previous gen. | New generation | User impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Proprietary firmware | Snap OS | More stable, contextual AR experiences |
| Interaction | Limited touch/voice | Hands + voice native | Natural, hands-free control |
| Cameras | 2 cameras | 4 cameras | Precise, multi-angle spatial tracking |
| Weight | ~250-300 g | ~226 g | Extended comfort |
| Glasses | Standards | Photochromics | Outdoor legibility |
| Access | Limited public | Dev à 99 $/month | App quality before scalability |
In short, the key is not the "new toy" effect, but the ability of the glasses to resolving uses frictionless. This is the inflection point Snap is targeting.
Experiences for brands and creators: from augmented storytelling to assisted purchasing
For brands, the new generation of Spectacles opens up a concrete field of action: virtual tests in store, step-by-step guides in the workshop, enhanced tours showroom, promotional overlay during a live performance. A fashion label, for example, can display the ideal haircut as an overlay when a customer looks in the mirror. A cosmetics company projects advice based on the skin tone detected by the cameras. The key is useful micro-interactions that respect the user's rhythm.
The social context encourages the spread of these uses. Platforms drive parallel innovations: Meta steps up a gear to stay in the leadincluding with Meta AI and innovative appswhile TikTok tests are multiplying, as reported by competition on AR glasses. Lifestyle, luxury and food brands can capitalize on these movements to build cross-functional experiences.
Maison Calypso", a fictitious high-end brand, is a good example. During a pop-up, visitors wear glasses to discover a capsule mini-collection. They see textures reacting to light, style notes appearing near the pieces, and an "add to my list" button floating. The team pushes these moments into stories, then into Reels via hands-free captured excerpts. To amplify the reach, the media plan relies on Instagram trends 2025 and a creative relay via TikTok agencies.
- Experiential marketing contextualized AR demos during an event.
- Increased trade floating product sheets, cross-sell in situ.
- Customer support superimposed tutorials, guided assistance.
- Influence immersive making-of, POV formats and collaborations.
To make the investment credible, you need to measure it. An impact table helps you to steer:
| Objective | Key indicators | Control point | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fame | AR views, completion rates | Sustained attention | +35 % of live completions increased |
| Consideration | Gesture interaction, voice commands | Real interest | 1.8 average interaction per scene |
| Conversion | List additions, QR scans | Intent to buy | +22 % in-store scans |
| Loyalty | Feedback, UGC | Long-term value | UGC POV multiplied by 2 |
For inspiration, this video content helps visualize the creation of hands-free AR experiences in the field.
Note: other players' eyewear feeds the ecosystem. Visit Ray-Ban Meta x Coperni illustrate the bridge between luxury and AI, while the new screen in Ray-Bans shows how a micro-innovation can reconfigure a use. In the same vein, Snap seeks to close the gap between prototype and everyday tool.
By the same token, culinary, fashion and tourism designers, who are already at ease with immersive formats, will find here a lever for scripting their own projects. camera moments at eye levelmore credible and engaging. This is the promise to be seized right from the developer phase.
Roadmap, competition and challenges: where Snap stands against Meta and TikTok
Snap has adopted a step-by-step strategy: developer phase at 99 $/month to validate use cases, then expand once the catalog of experiences is solid. At the same time, the competition is framing the market. Meta is moving ahead with AI functionalities, as demonstrated by its announcements on generative AI and the reinvention of smart glasses. TikTok explores AR avenues for social networking shoppingas indicated by the rise of head-on competition.
Time milestones are emerging. A number of observers are counting on massification in the medium term, while some roadmaps are already talking about2027 maturity date on the Meta side. Snap wants to position itself as a forerunner of experiments rather than as a follower of consumer hardware. It's a way of avoiding the race for volumes and anchoring adoption through quality of use.
And then there's the regulatory and trust issues. Gesture recognition, voice, spatialization: AR captures an intimate context. Debates around data sovereignty or platform dependencies are reminiscent of broader issues, such as the scenario of a fragmented Meta ecosystem. For Snap, the clarity of permissions, capture modes and shared uses will be decisive.
Another reading grid concerns thesocial interoperability. If two spectacle wearers can co-create the same AR scene and publish it everywhere, the value is amplified. If experiences remain fragmented, the benefit is blunted. Hence the importance of standards, open SDKs and creative pedagogy. To feed the vision, this video research on multi-user AR perspectives can help.
To clarify the competitive route, a quick-read table is in order:
| Actor | Positioning | Main asset | Risk to watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snap | AR social, creators, contextual apps | Snap OS + Spatial Engine | Quality of experience at public launch |
| Meta | Broad ecosystem, generative AI | Ray-Ban Traction + AI | Regulatory constraints and perception |
| TikTok | Social commerce, short formats | Viral distribution | Frame AR material to be consolidated |
- Snap Priority building "must-have" experiences.
- Brand priority test, measure and iterate on purchasing rituals and events.
- Creators' priority immersive POVs, pedagogy, quality UGC.
In short, the battle will be won on the proof of use and the alignment between hardware, AI and the social graph. Brands that experiment early will gain the narrative and data advantage.
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Complementing the Snap announcements, industry iterations continue: new Ray-Ban connectedfocus on facial recognitionor the retail case study in Italy, stimulated by luxury brands on TikTok. This cluster of trends points the way to the next stage: eyewear for the home. shopping rituals and the content creationwithout any additional cognitive effort.
Since 2016, ValueYourNetwork supports the ecosystem with recognized expertise in influence marketing. Our team has piloted hundreds of successful campaigns on social networks and knows how to connect, at the right time, influencers and brands around high-impact experiences, including augmented reality. To design a customized device around the new AR glasses and accelerate your results, contact us.