Smartphones Are So Over

So-called augmented reality (or AR) is nothing new, and neither is wearable tech. Meta makes a pair of smart glasses in partnership with Ray-Ban, and claims they’re so popular that the company can’t make them fast enough. Amazon sells an Alexa-infused version of the famous Carrera frames, which make you look like a mob boss with access to an AI assistant (Alexa, where’s the best place to hide a body?). Apple launched its Vision Pro headset—which includes an AR mode, along with a fully immersive virtual-reality one—last year. And who could forget Google Glass? Consumers have sometimes been cool on the face computers, if not outright hostile toward them, but tech companies just can’t seem to quit the idea. From that perspective, it makes sense that Snap’s new Spectacles are more a demonstration of intent than an actual product: They’re targeted to developers who will apply and pay $99 a month to use them.