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Qualcomm today announced a multi-year deal that names it the official system-on-a-chip (SoC) provider for devices made by Specs, Inc. The latter is the wholly-owned subsidiary of Snap that’s been spun out to focus on the innovation, design, and production of AR glasses.
The timing for this move is right as Specs Inc. is committed to releasing consumer-geared Spectacles – known simply as Specs in their current development phase – sometime this year. This will be the first consumer-targeted variation on the erstwhile developer-focused Spectacles.
Moreover, Specs will be processing-intensive. While a large swath of the consumer headworn AR market has moved to a toned-down visual UX – a shortcoming compensated through AI functions – Specs are moving in the opposite direction. They’ll offer a highly immersive UX.
Specs, like its predecessor, will also be a standalone AR device without relying on an external compute puck. That means it needs powerful and efficient processing for what Snap previews as “on-device AI, cutting-edge graphics, and advanced multiuser digital experiences.”
Purpose-Built
This deal also doubles down on Qualcomm’s longstanding relationship with Snap. For example, Qualcomm provides the chips at the heart of Snap Spectacles’ (Gen 5) dual SoC architecture. As we wrote in our review, this helps load balance the device’s many spatial functions.
The press materials we received in advance didn’t specify which Qualcomm chips and generations will power Specs, but we’ll be on the lookout for clues. The smart money is on a similar dual SoC architecture, as it engenders split-processing efficiency to do more with less device bulk.
The collaboration is also a boon for Specs Inc. due to Qualcomm’s best-of-breed status for powering XR devices. The company’s focus in this area has made it the gold standard in chipsets for spatial computing, including a variety of chips that are purpose-built for XR formats.
That expanding range of XR devices includes everything from AI-powered non-display glasses to high-immersion mixed reality devices like Meta Quest 3. Qualcomm’s expanding line of XR and AR chip series (see our video below), maps to that diversifying and diverging spatial spectrum.
A Step Further
Specs will directly benefit from those processing chops and go a step further with customized designs, like the previous generation’s dual SoC noted above. This should not only boost Specs’ functionality but elevate market confidence in Specs Inc. as the subsidiary looks to prove itself.
Another benefit comes in the standardization that Qualcomm’s SoC’s bring to the table. Having a spatial stack that’s built on top of its chips will ensure reliability and a design language that makes it easier for developers to build the content that will attract users – classic Snap.
Much of the above is a combination of details announced and our speculations on what it means. More information will likely unfold over the coming days and weeks, and we’ll correspondingly circle back to report on what it means. Meanwhile, this is a strong development for both parties.
“The next era of computing will be defined by devices that understand what you see, hear and say as well as context, and respond instantly to the world around you,” said Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon in a release. “Our work on future generations of Specs will enable power-efficient interactive AR devices that deliver agentic experiences that feel natural, intuitive, and integrate seamlessly into daily life.”