--- title: "Snap’s Stock Plunges the Moment It Reveals Its Comically Gigantic AR Glasses" description: "Snap's latest AR glasses come with a hefty and eye-searing price tag of $2,195 and happen to be unfathomably ugly as well." date: "2026-06-17" modified: "2026-06-17" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/future-society/snap-lampooned-gigantic-ar-glasses" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Future Society" - "Virtual Reality" --- # Snap’s Stock Plunges the Moment It Reveals Its Comically Gigantic AR Glasses ![A photo illustration featuring Evan Spiegel, Co-Founder and CEO of Snap Inc., wearing AR Glasses that are far too large.]() *Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Joe Scarnici / Getty Images for Snap* After [losing $40 million]() on a failed attempt to launch a pair of video-recording sunglasses almost a decade ago, and several follow-up iterations [failing to catch on either](), Snapchat parent company Snap is doubling down with an extremely expensive pair of augmented reality glasses it's calling Specs. The glasses, which were unveiled during a presentation on Tuesday, come with a hefty price tag of $2,195 and happen to be unfathomably colossal as well, a questionable design choice that invited [plenty]() of [mockery]() [online](). During a subsequent tech convention in California, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel [sported a pair of the oversized goggles](), which feature a cartoonishly large frame with reflective lenses that seemingly do little to obscure the fact that people wearing them are being bombarded with visual information. https://twitter.com/NathieVR/status/2066967928495640729 "I can feel the headache and ear pain by just looking at these," one user [tweeted](). "Looks like 3D glasses at an IMAX theater," another [argued](). "Who the hell designed this monstrosity?" another [wrote](). Investors were equally unimpressed, with Snap shares plunging nearly 30 percent following Tuesday's announcement, a brutal reality check for the struggling social media platform. Snap is [advertising]() the goggles as a way to "help people connect more deeply with one another," with Spiegel heralding the "beginning of a new era in computing." The Specs can show directions or answer questions about what the wearer is looking at, an [already-familiar playbook](). But given the gadget's egregious price tag and awkward design, we have our doubts that the Specs will ever become a mainstream product. "Despite the impressive features and experiences available through Specs, glasses with a 4-hour mixed-use battery life and bulky design are not going to replace the smartphone any time soon," FDM CCS Insight market analyst Ben Hatton [told the *BBC*](). Snap's timing is far from great. The announcement comes as Meta is struggling to contain a [major PR crisis]() over privacy concerns plaguing its smart glasses and its controversial efforts to [integrate facial recognition tech](). Spiegel vowed that "privacy has to be built in from the very beginning" and that "Specs only work if people trust them," though it's unclear how any of that will work. In short, after several failed attempts to launch smart glasses, Snap has an enormous uphill battle ahead of it. And given the brutal reactions online and investor dissatisfaction, the Specs are likely [dead on arrival](). **More on smart glasses:** [*Meta Furious Over Bombshell Smart Glasses Revelation*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()