Snap Inc. recently launched its fifth generation of augmented reality (AR) spectacles, just days before rival Meta Platforms’ Connect event, where Meta will showcase its latest hardware. Along with the new AR glasses,

Snap announced an upgraded version of its Spectacles augmented-reality glasses on Tuesday, doubling down on its bet that wearable devices to enhance the view of the real world will be one of the next frontiers in tech.

Snap Inc. Chief Executive Officer Evan Spiegel unveiled a new version of the company’s Spectacles smart glasses, revitalizing an effort to build an advanced augmented reality product that may one day replace or rival the smartphone.

Snap partnered with chipmaker Qualcomm and OpenAI’s ChatGPT to create the AR Spectacles, which allow users to place digital images and filters onto the real world through the lenses.

Snap’s latest augmented reality glasses have a completely new — but still very oversized — design, larger field of view and all-new software that supports full hand tracking abilities.

These new AR glasses are amazing. And extremely goofy. Before I get to Snap’s new Spectacles, a confession: I have a long history of putting goofy new things on my face and liking it. Back in 2011, I tried on Sony’s head-mounted 3D glasses and,