Snap CEO Evan Spiegel avoided giving investors a clear read on early demand for the company’s upcoming Specs smart glasses during Monday’s earnings call, even as the device moves closer to its September launch event.
When asked about pre-orders, Spiegel did not share sales figures or reservation numbers. Instead, he emphasized that many people are interested in trying the product in person before making a purchase.
According to Spiegel, the $2,195 price makes Specs a “high consideration” purchase. He said developers and people already familiar with Snap’s augmented reality platform understand the technical improvements in this generation, but broader consumer interest will likely depend on hands-on experiences.
“What we’re hearing from folks is really that they want to try Specs,” Spiegel told investors. He added that the upcoming launch event will be an important first step in introducing the product to a wider consumer audience.
Snap revealed the new Specs in June after more than a decade of work on wearable augmented reality technology. The glasses are positioned as a major step in Snap’s long-term plan to help build the next generation of computing, blending digital experiences with the real world.
The pricing puts Specs in a unique part of the smart glasses and mixed reality market. At $2,195, they are far more expensive than Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which start at a much lower price point, but they remain below Apple’s Vision Pro, which starts at $3,500.
Investors pressed Spiegel on whether Snap has the financial strength to pursue such an ambitious hardware strategy on its own. They also questioned why the company chose not to partner with a larger technology firm and how it expects to compete against giants such as Apple, Meta, and Alphabet.
Spiegel defended the strategy by pointing to what he sees as a massive long-term opportunity. He argued that augmented reality glasses could become a foundational computing platform in the years ahead, and Snap wants to be an early leader in that shift.
He also stressed that the difficulty of building the product is not always fully appreciated. Spiegel said Specs are technically complex and that Snap’s early position in the category could work in its favor.
He compared the opportunity to Snap’s early days in social media. When Snapchat first launched, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were already established, forcing Snap to compete through innovation. With AR glasses, Spiegel believes the company has a different advantage: it is moving early in a category that is still taking shape.
“What’s so unique about this opportunity for us is really that we’re a first mover, and that really plays to our strengths as an innovator,” Spiegel said.
Still, Spiegel appeared realistic about the timeline for mainstream adoption. When asked about product-market fit, he suggested that mass-market consumer demand may not arrive until closer to the end of the decade.
He acknowledged that key factors such as weight and cost will need to improve before sales volumes can grow significantly. For now, Snap appears to be focused on developers, early adopters, and people already invested in augmented reality experiences.
Spiegel said the company has an advantage because developers have been building on the Specs platform for several years. That developer ecosystem could help Snap create more compelling apps and experiences by the time AR glasses become more affordable and appealing to everyday consumers.
The biggest question remains whether consumers will see enough value in Snap’s smart glasses to justify the premium price. With the September launch event approaching, Snap will need to prove that Specs are more than an experimental device for developers and technology enthusiasts.
For now, Spiegel’s comments suggest that Snap is not expecting an immediate mass-market breakthrough. Instead, the company is betting on a slower, long-term path: build the platform early, attract developers, refine the hardware, and wait for consumer demand to catch up.
