Snap Inc. joined that party last week when it announced that it would be spinning off its augmented reality glasses, Specs, into a new subsidiary. This smart play is intended to give the company’s increasing internal expectations in AR technology “greater operational focus and alignment.” The standalone company will allow Snap to concentrate on enhancing its AR offerings while navigating the competitive landscape more effectively.
During Meta’s Q4 2025 earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg articulated his ambitions for the company’s AI smart glasses business. He underscored the importance of this segment for Meta’s bottom line. The company is currently working on cutting-edge smart glasses fueled by artificial intelligence. In fact, Zuckerberg made it clear that AI glasses are going to change the way consumers do everything in the future. He compared it to the revolutionary ascendance of smartphones.
Billions of other people rely on glasses or contacts for vision correction. I believe we’re living in a moment akin to the advent of smartphones. It was just a matter of time before flip phones morphed into smart phones. As Zuckerberg noted, the increasing use of corrective eyewear with the creation of an AI-driven supply chain is the perfect AI application.
Reflecting a broader vision shared by other technology companies maneuvering to test the smart glasses waters. Oakley has made smart glasses that work for exercise. Ray-Ban’s joint venture with Meta offers exciting possibilities for bike lovers. Each of these products is a harbinger of an emerging wave to combine utility and intelligence into familiar, everyday wearable goods.
As Snap transitions its AR glasses into an independent entity, the industry watches closely to see how this will affect its innovation trajectory. And with an eye to the wearables market, OpenAI is heading towards a home run. They’re looking at ways to innovate past cast glasses, such as AI pins and earbuds.
Zuckerberg’s comments on the earnings call drive home the urgency and opportunity to lean into AI in wearable tech. He stated, “It’s hard to imagine a world in several years where most glasses that people wear aren’t AI glasses.” This sentence perfectly sums up the sentiment that AI-enhanced eyewear is on the verge of going mainstream.