Snap is bringing shopping features to its AR glasses
Snap is continuing to lay the groundwork for its first consumer-ready AR glasses called Specs. While the company has still revealed few details about the device set to launch next year, it used its Lens Fest event to preview new features and apps that will work on the new hardware.
At the event dedicated to AR developers and creators, Snap said it would enable Specs users to buy items directly from their glasses. Snap CTO Bobby Murphy said that new software tools called Commerce Kit would allow "select developers to accept payments directly inside lenses," either for "digital goods" or as upgrades to unlock "premium features."
Snap already allows lens creators to make money off AR effects via its Lens Creator rewards program, but offering in-lens commerce could allow the company to monetize its AR platform in a new way. "This is the start of developer monetization for lenses on Specs, and we plan to continue to find ways you can build sustainable businesses on our platform," Murphy said.
Whether this could turn into a meaningful business for Snap is less clear. The company has so far released two versions of its standalone AR glasses, but those devices have been aimed at Snap developers not users. That's set to change next year with its next version of glasses. CEO Evan Spiegel has promised the new glasses will be "lightweight" compared with the current bulky and awkward-looking frames, but has said little else about the design.
When Specs do launch, we know there will be a solid lineup of AR features available. Snap has already released a standalone experience for watching Spotlight videos and a more powerful web browser. There's also a new translation lens that can translate and transcribe audio in real-time.
There are more AR integrations in the works, according to Snap. Tripadvisor is working on an AR lens that will overlay "trusted insights" into your field-of-view as you encounter restaurants, shops and other establishments in the real world. Design platform Figma is also working on a lens, though Snap didn't share details about how these will work.
The updates are a reminder of how ambitious Snap's vision for AR glasses is. The company has been nurturing an ecosystem of AR creators and developers for years; it's now getting ready to carry that work over to its nascent glasses platform. "We see Specs powering everything from classrooms to design studios, creating opportunities and work for developers in entirely new categories," Murphy said.
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