Snap spins off smart glasses team into separate company

In September last year, Snap Inc unveiled Snap OS 2.0 specifically for its Spectacles AR glasses. The OS overhaul introduced a minimalist UI, a revamped Spectacles Browser that supports WebXR, a Travel Mode to stabilize motion while in vehicles, and a Gallery Lens that creates a curving carousel of your video clips floating right in front of your face.

Now, Snap is announcing a new subsidiary called Specs Inc. The company is establishing Specs Inc as a wholly-owned subsidiary to separate the hardware business from the main social media platform:

Establishing Specs Inc. as a wholly-owned subsidiary provides greater operational focus and alignment, enables new partnerships and capital flexibility including the potential for minority investment, allows us to grow a distinct brand, and supports clearer valuation of the business as we work towards the public launch of Specs later this year.

Specs is the consumer-focused version of the augmented reality glasses Snap has developed for nearly a decade. Unlike the original Spectacles, which merely recorded video for social media, Specs functions as a standalone computer powered by Snap OS 2.0.

The hardware uses see-through lenses to render digital objects in three dimensions. Users navigate the interface using hand gestures and voice commands rather than physical buttons.

Snap says that, unlike regular computers and smartphones designed to isolate people, Specs keeps users present:

Computers and smartphones feel like they are designed to capture our attention, block out the real world, and isolate us from our in-person relationships.

Specs do the opposite, keeping you present in the moment, and bringing you together with friends, family, and coworkers through shared experiences like running around in the backyard playing capture the flag, learning about chemistry by simulating reactions, or reviewing virtual designs of a new product together as a team.

Snap wants Specs to replace physical objects like whiteboards, instruction manuals, and TVs with digital equivalents to reduce environmental waste. The AR glasses feature a "first-of-its-kind" Intelligence System that uses context about your environment to handle tasks automatically.