Snap’s newly formed Specs division has signed a multi-year agreement with Qualcomm to power its upcoming smart glasses, marking the unit’s first major strategic move. Devices launching later this year will run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR processor platform, as Snap looks to strengthen its position in the emerging AI wearables market.
The partnership builds on an existing relationship between the two companies, with Qualcomm chips already used in earlier versions of Snap’s Spectacles. By formalizing the deal under its dedicated Specs unit, Snap is signaling a more focused push into smart glasses, an area gaining momentum as companies experiment with AI-driven consumer hardware.
Snap faces growing competition from Meta, whose Ray-Ban smart glasses, developed with EssilorLuxottica, have seen early traction. These devices are among the first AI-powered wearables to achieve broader consumer adoption, raising the stakes for rivals seeking to establish a foothold in the category.
The announcement comes amid pressure from activist investor Irenic Capital Management, which recently urged Snap to consider spinning off or shutting down the Specs unit to cut costs. Snap has positioned the division as a way to give its hardware efforts more independence and potentially attract external investment, as it navigates a competitive and capital-intensive segment of the AI device market.
