The latest generation is not directly linked to the Snapchat app, and serves as a standalone device where users can install AR applications, called Lenses.

Spectacles feature built-in cameras and sensors to enable hand-based interactions, track spatial placement of people and environments, and record AR-enhanced video.

[6][3] Epiphany Eyewear which recorded wide-angle point-of-view videos, had been positioned as Vergence's first step toward eventually building full featured augmented reality glasses which, according to Miller, would someday "give people what would previously be called superpowers".

[12] The glasses were sold through Snapbot, a proprietary vending machine for the smartglasses, which was located near Snap's headquarters in Venice, Los Angeles.

[14] In April 2018, the company launched Spectacles 2.0, which included additional colors, lighter frames, the option of mirrored lenses, and the removal of the bright yellow ring around the camera window.

[22] AR experiences available on the glasses as of December 2021 included "a zombie chase, a pong game, Solar System projection, and an interactive art piece."

Additionally, according to The Verge, "Another new software update brings Connected Lenses to Spectacles, letting multiple pairs interact with the same Lens when sharing a Wi-Fi network.

This version of Spectacles was notable for being fully standalone (i.e. not requiring a phone tether or physical cable connection), for debuting see-through waveguide displays, and for its advanced environment and hand tracking capabilities.

The original version of the glasses included a camera lens with a 115° field of view (110° on V2)[citation needed] and records in a circular format that adapts to a smartphone's screen size and orientation.

Wearers view through dual-display see-through lenses using optical waveguides, while liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) projectors map AR content onto the real world.