Why is Snap measuring AR glasses success by developer creativity, not profits?

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Snap measures Specs AR glasses success by developers’ creativity rather than profits
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said the success of its Specs augmented reality glasses is measured by developers’ creativity instead of financial indicators, and he did not disclose profit margins, production volumes, or sales targets when asked. The company framed the Specs launch as a way to bring advanced computing into everyday life, with pricing aimed at putting the technology into as many people’s hands as possible.
Spiegel tied the metric to developer creativity for the Specs launch
When AFP asked for performance details, Spiegel disclosed no profit margins, production volumes, or sales targets for the Specs glasses. Instead, he said success is measured by developers’ creativity rather than financial indicators, placing emphasis on how developers use the platform after launch.
Snap positioned Specs as “more human” computing rather than a profit-first accessory
Spiegel said Snap believes it is “very, very hard to make it feel more human” unless computing is brought into the world where people live. He also contrasted Specs with glasses that project a flat screen in front of the eye, saying Specs maps the surrounding world and projects three-dimensional digital objects that interact with the real world seen through the lenses.
The launch is priced to broaden adoption while the market is still early
Specs is priced at US$2,195 (RM9,000) for reservations starting Tuesday, with sales planned for the fall in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. Snap described the market as “embryonic,” and while Meta dominates Ray-Ban glasses with more than seven million sold, Meta’s dedicated division has been losing billions of dollars.
Snap’s financial strain and internal pressure add context to the focus
Snap has been operating at a loss since its 2017 IPO and cut 16% of its workforce in April, about 1,000 jobs. It also faced pressure from activist shareholder Irenic Capital Management, which demanded the AR glasses project be shut down or sold off after saying it absorbed more than US$3.5 billion in costs, while Snap reported nearly 956 million monthly users for Snapchat in the first quarter.

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Why is Snap measuring AR glasses success by developer creativity, not profits?

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