Snap is close to launching its new AI glasses after a years-long hiatus

Snap has announced a new partnership between its Specs subsidiary, which focuses on AR glasses, and chipmaker Qualcomm, as the company prepares to release its own wearables later this year.

The Snapchat creator has been teasing the release of the glasses — dubbed Spectacles, or just Spectacles — for a long time, and earlier this year, he created a new company to focus specifically on the business venture. In February, the company abruptly parted ways with Scott Myers, its senior vice president of specifications, due to a disagreement between him and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel.

The newly announced partnership with Qualcomm shows signs of life for the project. The specifications will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR platforms, which are systems-on-a-chip designed to power augmented and virtual reality devices, a press release said.

The two companies will develop “on-device AI, cutting-edge graphics, and advanced multi-user digital experiences” as part of a multi-year strategic agreement, a press release said.

“Our work with Qualcomm provides a strong foundation for the future of the spec, providing developers and consumers with advanced technology and performance that pushes the boundaries of what is possible,” Spiegel said.

It’s been a long spec saga. Snap originally began developing the product more than a decade ago. The last consumer version of the glasses was released in 2019. Since 2024, the glasses have been a developer-only product, giving Snap the opportunity to work on cultivating new types of software that the company hopes will attract users when it launches.