I Did Push-Ups With Snap’s Chunky AR Glasses

I hadn’t expected to be doing augmented reality push-ups in the middle of the mall. Yet there I was, wearing bulky Snap Specs while facing the ground.

The Lens (what Snap calls apps on its augmented reality headset) is called Thirty Ups. It is in Halloween mode now, so when I look down, a virtual cartoon Jack-o’-lantern sits right next to where I’m supposed to start working out. I’m not trying to get jacked right now, but my goal is to see if these gigantic smart glasses will fall off when I’m staring straight down and moving up and down.

I get into position and start my workout. When I go down and back up, a little virtual circle on the ground below me starts counting up. I don’t get to 30 push-ups. I’m surrounded by people, many of whom are now staring at me, and it feels too hot outside to keep going without feeling gross. I get in 12 reps before giving up. The glasses only count 11 because it tells me I “skipped” one. Great.

The nearby Snap representative is thrilled. “You’re the first person who’s tried that one,” he says. I’m also pleasantly surprised. These glasses seem huge, but they stayed on my face just fine.

Snap announced its Specs in June. They cost $2,195 and will start to ship in the coming weeks. It took a few months for Snap to share what actual features would be available on the glasses

WIRED’s Julian Chokkattu and I both tried out Snap’s Specs last week. He got a dedicated demo with the company. I was offered one, too, but instead I happened to stumble upon the Specs First Look demo at the Westfield Century City shopping center in Los Angeles. The space has been here for just a couple of weeks.

It was a warm Sunday afternoon, and a steady stream of people came through the mall’s demo zone. Snap reps handed out Specs to anyone curious enough to register and hang out. Kids were running around, and the glasses looked especially large on their faces. When people left the demo, they got a free cup of ice cream with a small, Specs-shaped chocolate cookie.

The Specs had a dozen or so Lenses available for testing. Aside from the push-ups, the Specs let you finger paint in midair, see navigation directions overlaid on the real world, or engage with the physical environment by drawing on a notepad or analyzing text in a print book. They also have some sporty features, like one that allegedly helps with golf and another through a partnership with the NBA that guides you through shooting hoops.

You may have noticed that the glasses look pretty chunky. That’s true, but I was pleasantly surprised by how lightweight they felt and how well they stayed put. (The glasses come in two sizes, so if the small is too tight, try the larger model.) Another surprise was how well the virtual digital elements held up in bright light. I made a point of walking into direct sunlight to test out the screen. With the brightness turned all the way up, the onscreen elements were still visible. The glasses had automatically switched into “sunglasses mode” and dimmed to block the sun. The Snap rep said the lenses protect the eyes from UV rays at all times.