Snap doubles down on augmented reality

You may think of Snapchat as a social media company, but Snap considers itself a camera company. Within the next decade, that may be an augmented reality company. (Also, a commerce company.) ¿Por qué no los dos?

Last week, Snap revealed its fourth-gen Spectacles. They’ll have a display component, making them true AR glasses for the first time, along with four built-in mics, two stereo speakers, and a touchpad.

• The company also confirmed that it would buy WaveOptics, its UK-based AR display supplier, for $500 million, The Verge reported Friday.
• On the software side, Snap is working its way toward operating system-level AR, with Lens, Scan, and virtual try-on tools.

Seeing 20/20

CEO Evan Spiegel seems pretty sure that the technology will be an important part of the next wave of computing. Still, Snap knows AR isn’t ready for a mass-market debut. Case in point: Spectacles V4 only have a half-hour of battery life. Instead, they will be distributed to thousands of developers and Lens creators who apply to tinker with them.

Zoom out: Microsoft sells HoloLens AR headsets, but they’re still priced and positioned as an early adopter device. Facebook, which owns VR leader Oculus, is just starting to roll out a research-oriented AR prototype. Meanwhile, Apple is developing a device it could reveal as early as next year.—RD