Snap Inc., the company behind Snapchat and Spectacles AR glasses, is making waves in the AR world. Evan Spiegel, the CEO, is set to take center stage at AWE 2025 this June. This event, renowned for being one of the largest gatherings focusing on augmented and extended reality, will provide Snap with a platform to showcase their latest advancements and reinforce their presence in the industry.
Historically, Snap has positioned itself as a bit of a maverick within the XR community. Unlike the typical players focusing on gaming-first devices—like the Quest or Apple’s Vision Pro which cater to entertainment and productivity—Snap has chosen a unique path. Their AR glasses, known as Spectacles, are deeply rooted in social interaction and are geared towards experiences based on real-world locations and collaborative environments.
Evan Spiegel’s speech will be part of this influential conference taking place from June 10th to 12th in Long Beach, California. The event will gather over 6,000 attendees, showcase 300 exhibitors, and host 400 speakers across a sprawling exhibition space. Snap’s vision for AR will stand alongside other industry titans like Qualcomm and XREAL, who also have secured speaking slots.
Snap’s distinctive journey in building its AR platform from scratch has kept it somewhat aloof in the XR space. Part of this effort includes developing its own Spectacles hardware, crafting a specialized operating system—Snap OS—and providing an exclusive authoring tool, Lens Studio, for content creation. This has added layers of complexity for developers not accustomed to Snap’s ecosystem, diverging from more universally recognized tools such as Unity.
Yet, Snap’s dedication shines through. Scott Myers, Snap’s VP of Hardware, recently emphasized that Spectacles aims to transcend mere Snapchat extensions. The company envisions a future where such glasses replace traditional smartphones. This standalone design philosophy means Spectacles function independently of phones or tethered devices.
Myers shared candidly that he uses Spectacles extensively, testing features and gathering experiential insights. He pointed out Snap’s focus on creating an optimal development environment through high-quality tools and responsive feedback loops.
As heavyweights like Meta, Apple, and Google race to create the first widely-adopted AR glasses, Snap’s unique approach might carve out its own niche. In such a competitive landscape, they’ll need strategic play to capture the market’s attention.
For those interested in attending AWE 2025, Road to VR is not just a media partner but also offers an exclusive 20% ticket discount to its readers. This collaboration allows fans and professionals alike to engage with the forefront of AR technology.
