Snap Specs Launch LIVE: Updates as CEO Evan Spiegel shares more at the keynote

Snap officially unveiled its Specs AR glasses at AWE 2026 in June, but the official launch was delayed until now. "It’s going to be that shift from phones to glasses," Snap said at the time.Today, Snap is holding an official launch event with even more to share about its chunky smart glasses. We expect to learn more details about the glasses alongside new Lenses, features and more!Stay with Tom's Guide as we attend Snap's event and go hands on with the Specs.Here's the latest news: How to watch You can follow along at the Experience Specs website where there is a video player.Check it out here. 2026-09-16T23:05:44.142Z Eargate debunked Also not to say that eargate may have been blown out of proportion for the memes, but Evan did reply to it...https://t.co/NXbu7fX5PLJune 19, 2026 His ears are just like that. 2026-09-16T23:00:35.552Z Are you excited for Specs? (Image credit: Snap / Tom's Guide) We're still about 10 minutes from show start.While we wait, are you excited for Specs or intrigued? Let me know in the comments 2026-09-16T22:55:12.353Z 5 minute countdown Snap's keynote kicks off in 5 minutes.As a reminder, keep Tom's Guide in your tabs as we'll have hands-on impressions, analysis and more after the keynote and in the coming days. 2026-09-16T22:50:19.418Z Specs’ first rival (Image credit: Future) Meta may own the smart glasses category but Specs first true rival may be the as-yet-unreleased Xreal Aura glasses. Built in collaboration with Google, the Aura is a pair of XR glasses that offloads its computing power to an attached puck (or brick about the size of a smartphone).It offers similar features to the Specs, including AR apps and tools, gesture controls and AI functionality. However, it also has a larger field of view, a crisper display and some connectivity features that Specs can’t match. Which one is right for most people? 2026-09-16T22:45:15.143Z Red carpet moment (Image credit: Future) 2026-09-16T22:40:06.310Z (Image credit: Future) We just took our seats at the theater. It's pretty cool design space! 2026-09-16T22:39:20.627Z Will people wear Specs? (Image credit: Future) Compared to the older developer Specs, the official consumer design is svelte, but versus literally any other glasses these things are chunky and thick.After some hands-on time, they’re more comfortable than you’d think, though I’ve seen ears get squished by the giant arms. The glasses are a true breakthrough in AR and wearable tech. The question is whether or not this design will be off-putting to people or if customers are actually willing to try them out. 2026-09-16T22:35:35.458Z Snap believes Specs will be a major shift (Image credit: Future) “We’ve seen these different shifts in computing happen, and we see a shift is coming,” Russell Patton, product manager for Specs at Snap told Tom’s Guide in an interview. “Going forward, it’s going to be that shift from phones to glasses, and I think it’s not just taking the apps that are on our phones and putting them into glasses.”In June, Snap highlighted the truly spatial content that Specs is capable of producing. It’s visual AI that actually teaches. 2026-09-16T22:32:40.132Z A delayed launch (Image credit: Future) Snap officially revealed the Specs during AWE 2026 back in June, promising a nebulous fall release date.Today’s launch finally makes the Specs a reality, even if the actual ship date is still unknown. Hopefully, CEO Evan Spiegel announces dates today 2026-09-16T22:30:49.333Z Can Specs break through? (Image credit: Future)Smart glasses have cooled this year with global shipments only rising 35% in 2026 compared to a meteoric 130% increase tracked in Q1 according to IDC.But even outside of cooling shipments, the elephant in the room is Meta, which IDC research shows claims 70% of the smart glasses market with its Ray-Ban Meta audio glasses. RayNeo is a distant second at 3.6% of the market.That said, a wave of new devices, including the Specs are set to launch this fall. And Meta has its own Connect event next week. IDC believes this will be enough to drive growth and excitement despite concerns surrounding privacy and a dulling of innovation as companies adopt similar business models.