Snap announces new Spectacles AR glasses that let you overlay digital objects on the real world

Snap on Thursday announced a new version of its Spectacles smart glasses. They use augmented reality, which means you can look through them and see digital objects on top of the real world.

The new glasses allow users to see computer-generated imagery overlaid on their field of view in the real world. The Spectacles include two cameras, four microphones, a touchpad and buttons for controls. Users can also give audio commands to the device by saying “Hey Snapchat.” The new Spectacles are equipped with 30 minutes of battery life.

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said the devices are already in the hands of a select group of creators. The company is offering the device to more creators through a website.

The company, which is the maker of Snapchat, announced the new devices at its 2021 Snap Partner Summit where it also announced a flurry of new augmented-reality e-commerce features and new features for social media creators.

Snap is among a flurry of tech companies working on smart glasses, along with Apple and Facebook.